Twist of Fate
by Steph's
Summary: When war breaks out throughout the continent, Amestris is attacked and Mustang faces the biggest challenge of his life, leaving the country with Lieutenant Hawkeye, but planning to come back and fight when the time comes. Royai. Sequel to the manga.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA, damn it, I don't even own a car… Does anyone want to give me one as a Christmas gift?

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**TWIST OF FATE**

**Chapter 1 – ****An Order to Leave **

**July 21****st****, 1929**

The Military Headquarters in Central City were always full of people in blue uniforms, rushing to get things done, carrying piles of reports down the long corridors, from one office to another, to be checked, cross-checked, corrected, signed and finally filed. However, the soldiers who were taking a break outside didn't find it strange when they saw some kids and a man in his early thirties, all wearing civilian clothes, gathered around a tall man in uniform.

The soldier was sitting on a bench on the shade, talking, and there were four children, ages ranging from 6 to 11 years old, sitting on the ground around him and paying attention to every word he said. The other man was leaning against the back of the bench, also listening to the story, but he seemed more interested in the children's reactions than on the story itself, like he had heard it before or just had taken part in it.

"There I was, thinking if I should go or not, when this man came, also carrying one of those helmets and said 'Speeding Bullet was born to fly that junk!'" The soldier changed his voice when he repeated the man's words, talking with some kind of accent from another city, which made all the kids giggle. "So I thought: okay… he knows what he's doing. Then the man added 'Just don't scare your friend with loops and all.' Then… I was really freaked out."

The kids laughed loudly, one of the girls wiping tears from her eyes, the younger boy rolling on the lawn, his white shirt collecting pieces of dry leaves.

"Was he good? Speeding Bullet?" The younger girl asked, playing with her long hair.

"Good? He was great! Still is! Great at flying and great at scaring passengers to death. Ask your dad."

The nine-year-old girl was very happy with the idea of getting a first hand story from her father.

"We can ask him tonight." Her little brother said with excitement.

"Don't you think you stir up their imagination a bit too much? You make those stories sound like a movie or something." The man behind the group said calmly.

"Oh, come on. I just tell the stories as I remember them." The soldier said with a smirk that suggested he was well aware of how much emotion he added to the stories to make them sound more exciting. "Besides, what kid doesn't like to listen to stories about their parents? And there are so many stories about their parents to be told. You should share some of your own."

The children's eyes glowed with interest. They couldn't hide their excitement. The man promised he would think of some story to tell them some other time, so they all turned back to the soldier to hear the rest of his narrative, although a bit disappointed.

"Okay, where was I?" The soldier asked.

"You were talking about Speeding Bullet!" The older boy reminded him.

"Oh, yes. So I finally decided that I'd go for a ride with him on the biplane."

"Wow, the view from up there must be beautiful."

"It sure was."

The kids all smiled, imagining how it would feel like to fly in an airplane. They were all fascinated by the adventures narrated to them. Amestris had been turned into chaos not long before they were born, when war had broken out in most of the continent. The same people who had contributed to that country's history, changing it, molding it into what the country was today, were the people they knew as their family and friends, who currently lived ordinary lives, or so it seemed from a child's point of view.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

**12**** years before**

**April 12th, 1917**

The old man watched through his glasses and the window, as the soldiers were repairing the front wall of the headquarters, damaged in the most recent attack. The _most recent_, but probably not the last one. He sighed, thinking of how fast things had turned upside down.

Grumman had become Fuhrer of Amestris about two years ago and everything had been peaceful. Brigadier General Mustang had revised the policies on Ishbal and the Ishbalians were finally allowed to go back to their land. He also had made deals with Ling Yao, emperor of Xing, to build roads through the desert. Lots of products were now traded between the two countries, boosting both their economies. Major General Armstrong also took care of lots of things, helping them clear up the mess after the Homunculi's plans were ruined.

Now Amestris had been turned into chaos once more, but this time, the threat had come from foreign territories. Not that they haven't seen it coming. They knew they would be targeted as soon as Creta, one of their neighboring countries, signed a deal with Nymbe, in order to stop the attacks to their own territory. Attacks that came from the sky, spreading sheer terror amongst the population. Noisy killing machines that crossed the skies with unbelievable speed, dropping bombs without warning. They were usually followed by tanks and large troops armed with machine guns. Those were the ones to finish the soldiers that survived the attacks from the airplanes. The new invention, the airplane. Modified into a weapon to kill thousands and give power to the ones who commanded them. And now the airplanes had reached Amestris, after the deal with Creta allowed Nymbean troops to cross their country freely.

"Why can't an old man enjoy his last days in peace?" Grumman mumbled to himself, turning around and staring at a piece of paper on his desk.

One of the many documents he was forced to sign in order to prevent that madness from taking more lives. What they would manufacture in their own country, what kind of industry they would develop, who they would sell their produce to and even the prices they would charge. The king of Nymbe sure had imposed lots of new laws in the last month, in exchange for the ceasefire. And now the battle in the East… Brigadier General Mustang had commanded the troops to regain control of East Headquarters. The operation had been successful, until the bombers came. Until Mustang used his powerful flame alchemy to knock down half an escadrille.

It didn't take long for the enemy to notice they would have to attack from higher altitudes to avoid one single man, who could cause a lot more damage to the enemy aircrafts than the regular machinegun shots. Now that Amestris had taken the deal and bowed to their will, this specific document had caused Grumman to feel more defeated than ever.

An arrest order for anyone living in the country, who could perform alchemy. The second page of that document contained a list of people whose execution was now one of Nymbe's top priority list. Grumman got the document, to read the names again. Those were people he knew, people that would have to die to avoid more deaths of innocent people.

There was a knock on the door and he ordered the guards outside to let Brigadier General Roy Mustang come in.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes. Please sit down."

Roy took a seat and Grumman could see he had some scratches on his face, probably from the battle for the East Headquarters.

"Any losses of people close to you, Brigadier General?" He asked.

Mustang knew he was referring to his closest subordinates and their last battle.

"No. No one close."

"Well, I have to thank you for coming on such short notice this late at night." Grumman continued.

Mustang was going to say there was no reason to thank him, but Grumman kept on talking and didn't give him a chance to speak.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news." He said, handing Roy the documents.

The alchemist read the first page, in which there was an order for the arrest of anyone who performed alchemy. He stared at Grumman, not sure what to think at the moment.

"There's more. Not only they demanded the arrest of hundreds of alchemists, but they also gave me a very long list of people who they see as a threat to them and who should be executed." Grumman said in a tired voice.

Mustang laid the paper on the desk, not taking his eyes from the Fuhrer.

"I'm holding this order until tomorrow. That's the best I can do. I'm having as many people as possible warned tonight, so they can run away before we have to arrest or kill them with our own hands."

"Am I in this list, sir?" Roy asked coldly.

"Yes."

He was quiet for a second, thinking of what the Fuhrer could want him to do in this situation. It seemed obvious, but at the same time, unacceptable.

"You're not telling me to run away, are you? Sir?"

"Brigadier General Mustang…" The man said with a sigh. "I have to admit I've always liked your determination. You have something other soldiers don't have. But I can't let more people die. Roads have been blocked, people in the countryside are short on medication and food supplies, schools have been closed out of fear of other bombardments, people don't want to go out on the streets…"

"I understand your reasons for taking the deal Nymbe offered, sir. But what I don't understand is what you want me do in this situation." Roy said.

"We need to rebuild our country and gather our men and weapons to fight the bombers. But all that will take time. We need someone to take over and command our armies when the time comes to fight them." Grumman talked as he was making a speech, trying to convince his audience of his own credibility.

"You will do that, sir. You will be there to command them." Mustang said plainly.

"I'm afraid there's another battle I've been fighting. One I cannot win."

Roy didn't know what he was talking about at first, but soon remembered that the Fuhrer had undergone surgery about two weeks ago. Could he be talking about his health? At the time, no one had told either the press or the other people in the military what was the exact reason for his surgery. They had just said it was a routine procedure.

"I'm dying." Grumman added.

"Sir?" Roy stood up, clearly disturbed, with his fists still on the Fuhrer's desk.

He wasn't expecting this kind of news when he walked through those doors.

"The doctors removed a tumor from my liver. They say it's some kind of highly metastatic cancer and it can spread to any part of my body."

"But they removed it all, didn't they?"

"According to them I've got a year at most, if I'm lucky."

Roy sat down again, feeling despair creep up on him. What would happen to the country now? There couldn't be a more inconvenient moment for the Fuhrer to get sick.

"I'm making arrangements. Our Secret Intelligence Force is working around the clock. They are aware of my situation and they wanted to know who would take over after I died, when it was time to fight again. I want you, Brigadier General Mustang, to do that."

Mustang wanted this. He wanted to become Fuhrer and lead the country, but he had never thought it would take such a dramatic situation for him to have the chance. Suddenly a question pounded into his head. Why would Grumman pick him for the task? Why not someone else?

"Sir, why did you choose me? Why not Major General Armstrong, or…"

"We need a military leader to put the country back on its feet and the people need a leader they can trust. General Armstrong would watch after the people, but she's too strict. She would not accept the decentralization of authority."

"You mean how much influence the parliament has?"

"Exactly. I have given the parliament the competence to deal with many national matters, and all we got from that were good results. They represented the people, and through the people they acted, _for_ the people."

"That would certainly make a good speech, sir." Roy said, his face now showing how exhausted he was.

"I appreciate it." Grumman said with a smile. "But let's not take too long here. I need you to get out of the country. Aerugo has been taking in refugees, from both Creta and Amestris. I believe you can leave the city before dawn."

"Sir, with all due respec-"

"You will not use alchemy, otherwise they may start dropping bombs randomly again and take you down along with God knows how many others." Grumman ordered as his face took on a serious expression.

Roy opened his mouth to speak, but the words just escaped his mind. It just couldn't be real. Fleeing the country in the middle of the ceasefire, when the attacks could start again at any moment was just unacceptable. As he didn't say anything, Grumman continued talking.

"My agents from the Secret Intelligence Force will contact you. You have to understand, Mustang. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for our country. I need you to stay alive until we are able to fight back. I need to know someone will take over from where I'll have left it all. Even if you stayed, what would you do? Surrender and be executed? Or fight and kill your own comrades so they don't kill you?"

Mustang gritted his teeth, thinking a hundred thoughts a minute. It was all too unreal. He looked away from Grumman, still not saying a word. Running away as a refugee and leaving the country he had fought to protect was unbearable. Why him? Why should he be safe and not the others? Leave behind his subordinates, leave behind… his first lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye. Would she be safe?

"Before I make any decisions, are my men also in this list?" he asked.

"No, I checked. Riza Hawkeye, Heymans Breda, Kain Fuery, Jean Havoc and Vato Falman are not in the list."

"Good." Roy said.

Those were the first good news of the night.

"I ordered someone to go with you. I wouldn't want you to be all by yourself, get drunk and decide to come back, blowing up enemy aircrafts."

"Sir, if those are the orders, I most certainly wouldn't do such a reckless thing." Roy replied, almost offended by Grumman's lack of trust.

"Please… allow this old man to have _some_ sense of humor…"

Roy could have laughed in another situation. Grumman was known as an eccentric and the word definitely suited him. However, another question came to Mustang. Who would go with him? Grumman had made arrangements for someone to travel with him. It would probably be one of the S.I.F. agents.

"You should leave now. You need time to get your things. My men will keep track of you, so all you have to worry about is staying alive."

That wasn't an invitation. It was an order and Roy knew it. That was the end of their conversation

"Sir. It was an honor to serve under your command." Roy said with a salute.

The Fuhrer answered with a salute as well and watched quietly as the brigadier general left the office. Roy closed the door slowly, not believing in his own fate. He stopped in front of the door, closing his eyes and trying to reorganize his thoughts. In a matter of minutes, he had turned from brigadier general Roy Mustang to a refugee who wouldn't even be able to use his own name if he didn't want to be blown up by a biplane.

"Sir, we have to go." A female voice urged.

Roy opened his eyes, only to find Lieutenant Hawkeye standing about a meter away from him. She seemed worried. Could she know that he had just been ordered to leave the country?

"_Wait a minute…_" He thought. It was almost midnight and he hadn't called her there. Why was Lieutenant Hawkeye there at this hour?

"Sir, I'm afraid that if we don't leave now, we won't make it on time." Hawkeye insisted.

"Wait, wait, wait… Are _you_ the one coming with me?" Roy asked, not even trying to hide his surprise.

"That's right, sir. It was the Fuhrer's order. Didn't he tell you?"

"What? _You _are coming with me? Giving up on your career to become a refugee?"

"What career, sir? What is there for us now? Obeying to enemy's orders is not my definition of a career." She replied drily.

Mustang was impressed. She seemed to have accepted it way more easily than he had.

"You're right." He finally agreed. "We don't have much time. Let's go."

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**A/N: **This was chapter 1... I hope you enjoyed it and will leave a review with your opinion about it. English is my second language, so if you spot any mistakes, I'd be glad if you told me. This story is being edited and all, but it's finished, so I'll be posting once a week till the end. You don't have to worry about me giving up on it. So I ask you, please leave a review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer****:** I don't own FMA. I don't own the song in this chapter either. It's just a rough translation of part of the song. The original song is called 'O Tempo' from 'Oficina G3'.

I want to say thanks to Hina Kita, LilDemonWarrior, ssadropout, yourlifeinwords, Lou Nebin, AnneNoir, and mebh for your reviews, and to everyone who's favorited or alerted!

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**Chapter 2 – The Galva Camp**

**April 13th, 1917**

The sun was already shining when the alarm clock rang. A hand emerged from under the sheets and hit the button to turn the alarm off with a little more strength than what would be considered gentle. The man sat up on his bed, staring at the window. He yawned, thinking of how much he would like to stay home. Work was not the same anymore, now that Amestris had been subdued.

He got his glasses on the nightstand and headed for the bathroom. The image of a short young man with spiky black hair greeted him. Sergeant Kain Fuery's first thought when he met his own reflection on the mirror was that his bad mood was obviously visible, like he was carrying a big sign on his head saying 'fuck off'. Maybe if he didn't look so young and harmless, his expression would actually keep people away from him.

"It's morning already… gotta suck it up." He mumbled.

A loud bark coming from somewhere in his apartment broke the silence violently. Fuery turned around, finding it weird. He lived on the second floor of the building and he could hear the neighborhood dogs bark all the time, but that sound had come from somewhere near.

There was a moment of silence and then a whining sound that could only be made by a dog. Fuery went to the living room and noticed the sound got louder. He looked through the peephole on his door, but saw no one in the corridor outside his apartment. Another loud bark clearly came from across the door and he finally unlocked and opened it. Something heavy was dragged along reluctantly when he pulled the door. A dog leash had been tied to the doorknob. Kain was very surprised to find Black Hayate, Hawkeye's dog.

"What are you doing here, boy?" He asked in a gentle voice, trying to calm the animal down.

He knelt on the floor to scratch the dog's head and then noticed the white piece of paper stuck to the dog's collar. It was a note. Fuery gulped, knowing that considering the current situation the country was in, something like that couldn't mean anything good.

'_I hope he won't be much trouble, but I can't take Hayate with me. I would appreciate if you could take care of him.'_

The Sergeant recognized Riza's handwriting immediately. His heart raced as he read the short note she had written, trying to make sense of it. On how much of a hurry was she when she wrote that note? Probably a lot, to just leave the dog at his door without even talking to him first... Kain stared worriedly at the playful animal, hoping that his owner would be all right.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

The train puffed steadily across the country, carrying fewer passengers than usual. The war had scared most citizens into staying home, but some people just couldn't go home anymore. Roy looked through the window at the green plains decorated by scattered white or brown spots, mostly sheep, some cattle, grazing calmly like it was any ordinary day. They were heading South and one could see the signs of civilization were becoming scarcer and scarcer.

When they were five minutes away from the last stop, Roy stood up and got the suitcases from the overhead compartment. Neither he nor Lieutenant Hawkeye had packed much stuff. They were carrying only one suitcase each. Mustang sat down again and noticed Hawkeye's distant look.

"Are you all right?" He asked, honestly concerned for her.

It was a stupid question. She couldn't be all right in that situation. He himself was feeling nervous about it and he was the one who was on the execution list, not her. She had just been ordered to go with him, leaving everything behind, but not once had she complained.

"Yes, sir." She answered.

She was all right physically, of course. However, she couldn't bring herself to stop thinking about their future. It was good to plan things in advance and consider possibilities so nothing could get them by surprise, but at the moment, it was impossible to predict the future with a reasonable degree of probability. That uncertainty made her feel uneasy. At least Roy wouldn't be alone. She would rather leave everything behind than stay home, worrying about where he might be.

The train came to a halt at a big station and they got off. More people seemed to be coming to the South than leaving it for other parts of the country. They would have to cross the borders now and it was dark already. Roy stuck his hand in his pocket instinctively, even though he knew his pocket watch wouldn't be there. That watch was given to military alchemists, so he had left it at home.

"It's almost eight o'clock." Riza said, pointing at a big white clock on the wall behind them.

Before they could even talk about how they would cross the border, a man ringing a bronze bell came in the station, announcing transportation to a Galva Camp, in Aerugo. In a matter of seconds an impressive amount of people gathered around him, hurriedly pulling money out of their wallets.

"Let's go before there's no more space." Roy said, walking towards the man as well and asking for seats for two people.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

In the darkness of the night, a young man with long hair stared at the military post watched by two Cretan guards. Amestris had closed the border to Creta and people weren't allowed to cross it without a permit. Soldiers from Nymbe could get in according to the deals signed by the Fuhrer, but they still had to be careful not to be attacked. Many Amestrian soldiers had rebelled against the army and its deals and were attacking enemy troops despite the orders from Grumman.

Edward watched quietly from the road, as one of the soldiers looked at him but didn't say a word. If he were still able to use alchemy it would be easy to pass through those guards. But he couldn't anymore. He had exchanged his alchemical abilities for his brother's body and he would have to live with it. He didn't regret it, but it wasn't always easy. He was now stuck in Creta, unable to go back to his own land. He hoped that Alphonse had already arrived at Resembool. He had heard many buildings in small cities all over the country had been bombarded. Those were mainly factories, warehouses and markets, he knew. Even though Winry and her grandmother didn't live near any facilities like the ones that were being targeted, Edward couldn't help but worrying, being so far away from home.

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**April 14th, 1917**

Seats for two people. _Seats,_ he had asked for. Mustang was now laughing ironically at his own naiveness as the small truck full of Amestrian refugees rode slowly towards the Galva Camp. The passengers were all squeezed up and trying to hold on to anything so they wouldn't fall off the vehicle. Roy and Riza struggled to remain awake as the first beams of sunlight shone across the land, bringing some light to the empty road. They had already crossed the border less than an hour ago and were now in Aerugon territory. The guards at the military post had made everyone get out of the truck and inspected it for weapons, but they had only asked for the driver's documents and didn't even bother to count how many people were on the vehicle. Hawkeye was guessing there were about 30 to 35.

A bump on the road made the truck shake and Roy felt someone grab his arm in order not to fall. The old lady apologized to him, slightly embarrassed. Roy just gave a faint smile to assure her he wasn't angry, but couldn't say anything. He was too tired. He just wanted to remain quiet, he really did. His mind didn't seem to get the message, though. Too many questions tore their way to his brain, eating him from the inside.

"I'm going to be sick." A child's voice was heard.

Roy looked around, unwillingly studying the other passengers. A family of five was just behind him. Mother, father, two teenage girls and a little boy. On his left side there were two young women, whose features resembled the old lady who had grabbed his arm to keep from falling. They were probably related somehow. In front of him there was a group of four kids, apparently not accompanied by any adults. The oldest kid, a girl who couldn't be older than 16, was singing to the youngest, a 3-year-old boy.

Most of the passengers were women, children or elderly. Apart from him there were only 5 supposedly healthy men. A child that had been crying for some time finally fell asleep on her mother's arms and all went quiet again, but for the sound of the girl's singing.

"My dreams… the wind can't take them…

The hope… I found it in your eyes…

My dreams… the sand won't bury them…

Because I was gifted life when I found you…"

The song was beautiful, but the emotion contained in those words was heartbreaking. Mustang tried not to pay attention to it. He had always been rational, keeping his emotional side well secured and restrained.

"In your arms time doesn't matter…

There's only the moment to dream…

And the fear that's always at your door…

When I'm with you…

It can't come in…"

Hawkeye was standing by Roy's side, with her eyes almost closing. Every now and then she would open them wide, trying hard to stay awake. She too, was listening to the song that was meant to calm the little boy. She wondered who would have composed it. It seemed like it had been written for people in bad situations like the one they were in now.

The morning went by and the temperature started to rise. Some people unbuttoned their coats and kids started complaining that they wanted to take their jackets off. A man took off his vest to cover a small child's head and protect her from the sun. Some other people started doing the same, protecting kids and the elderly from the direct sunlight.

Roy and Riza didn't really mind the sun on their heads until it was close to midday and sunburn was the most likely result of that dreadful trip. Mustang watched as Hawkeye also hid under her coat and thought it might be a good idea to do the same.

It was a quarter past four in the afternoon when the truck stopped at the gate of the Galva Camp. A barbed wire fence circled the facility, if one could call it that way. There were a couple of big tents and a military post at the entrance. A few meters away there was a precarious wooden shelter, and then another, and another, and another. You would look as far as you could and you would still see numerous groups of small wooden houses, separated by dirt paths. Facilities such as warehouses and health posts were built out of bricks and were watched by Aerugon soldiers. Latrines were built out of wood like the houses, but far away from them and were all around. The camp was quite well organized. Nonetheless, it was precarious.

The driver got off the truck and talked to an Aerugon soldier who seemed to be in charge of the refugees' reception. Soon other soldiers came and they told the people to get off.

"All right, no hanky panky! You all go to the tent and wait until you're called. You'll be registered and get a food ration card each. That will be your identification and the guarantee that you get basic supplies while you're here. Now let's move, people!" One of the soldiers said loudly so everybody could hear him.

They all hurried to the tent, happy to at be least out of the sun. There were some other people there already, so the soldiers guided half of the yet-to-be-registered refugees to a second tent five meters away from the first, where few people waited patiently.

Hawkeye laid her suitcase on the floor and sat on it, resting her head on her hands. Mustang felt bad for her. How much had she sacrificed to be by his side now? Order from the Fuhrer or not, he knew she was doing this for him.

"Sir." She called him in a low voice.

Mustang crouched by her side so he could hear what she wanted to say.

"What name are you going to use?" She asked.

"I could still use my first name, since it's quite common. But I'll have to change my last name." Roy replied, with a tone that suggested he had already been thinking about it.

"Any ideas?"

"What about you?" He asked her instead. "You're not in any execution list as far as I know. You could use your own name." He told her, hoping that this would come as some sort of comfort for her.

"You're right. I'm thinking of using my real name."

"You know what? I think I know what surname I'll take." Roy said, scratching his chin as a new idea just crossed his mind.

Riza noticed a spark of mischief in her superior's eyes. It was discreet and someone who didn't know him well might not have seen it, but it was there. There was something about his idea that probably wouldn't be so nice.

"You're not thinking of using the surname from someone we know, are you? Because that would make the S.I.F. confused when they tried to localize us."

"I'm thinking of taking yours." He said with all the casualness he could muster.

"Mine?" Riza raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes. Think about it. It's just perfect. If anyone searches the registers for 'Mustang, Roy', they won't find me. But if they look for 'Hawkeye, Riza', the name 'Hawkeye, Roy' will be right below on the list. It would be a good lead for the S.I.F. to follow."

"Sir…" She called him, a hint of impatience in her voice.

"Bear with me for just a second…" Mustang insisted. "I've heard they're constantly reallocating people from camps to other places, to work in farms or factories, and they're trying to keep families together."

Even though the plan was very good, it wasn't flawless. Riza just had to point out the fact that they didn't look alike, so anyone would be able to tell they were not blood related. If the soldiers asked them for some identification, which they haven't been doing with most people, they would be in trouble.

"Unless we were married." Roy added with a smirk.

So that was the catch… That was where the mischief in his eyes was coming from. Roy wasn't the kind of person who took relationships very seriously, so lying about being married was probably more like an inside-joke for him. That man was unbelievable and he sure seemed proud of his idea.

"Roy Hawkeye… I guess I could get used to that…" She said with a sigh, finally giving in. It was a good plan, and all they would have to do was lie to other people anyway.

"Won't you be embarrassed to tell other people that you picked a guy like me to be your husband?" Roy asked, with a mischievous smile still playing on his face.

She wouldn't be embarrassed to tell other people, that was for sure. Roy was elegant, good-looking and smart. Nevertheless, she knew this new "arrangement" would come with more mischievous smiles and jokes. Few people could actually annoy her and Roy seemed very happy to know he was one of them. Not that she would quietly accept the jokes.

"No, it's all right. I can always tell people I was drunk and didn't know what I was doing."

"Low blow…" He said and laughed. He just loved how quick-witted she was.

Feeling his legs hurt after crouching for so long, Roy sat on his own suitcase by her side, thinking that it might be fun to pretend to be married to his lieutenant.

"You know you can't call me 'sir' anymore." He teased her.

"I'm aware."

"How are you going to call me?"

"By your first name." She replied with indifference.

"Just that? No 'darling' or 'sweetheart'?"

He just loved to study her expressions, trying to find a shadow of annoyance in her always serious-looking face. If he could get her to blush before the end of the day, he would sure be laughing.

"I'll wait until you're surrounded by lots of other people then I'll just call you 'pudding cup' or maybe 'teddy bear'. Really loudly, so everyone can hear me."

"I dare you." He said playfully, although now he actually hoped she wouldn't accept the challenge.

He had never liked silly nicknames some people called their loved ones. He just didn't know if Riza knew of this or not. Anyway, she wasn't very inclined to any public demonstrations of affection, so if he changed the topic she would most likely forget it.

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**A/N:**Hello again! New chapter online, yay! I'm in a great mood today! After 4 days of rain and cold in the middle of the summer, the sun has finally come out! I was afraid I was going to have a white Christmas… Well, looks like I won't. Okay then, enough babbling. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'd be glad if you had the time to leave a review. Thanks for reading and see you next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA. But I have an inspiration fairy that comes here every once in a while and bites me. Inspiration fairy's bites cause dangerous ideas for writing…

I want to say thanks to Ana, ssadropout, Aieika, AnneNoir, Toushirou-chan and Hina Kita for your great reviews!

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**Chapter 3 – Need For Good News**

**April 14th, 1917**

The image of the wrecked station came as a shock for Alphonse when the train he was in stopped at an improvised platform about 300 feet from the local train station. It was half past six in the evening and he had traveled all day. Although he was tired, Alphonse hadn't slept at all during the whole trip. He had been very worried about Edward, Winry, and Pinako, since he first heard about the airplane attack to the small town.

Why the hell would Nymbe attack a place like Resembool? There was just nothing there. Alphonse walked out of the platform and saw, not far away from him, 3 soldiers dressed in green, the Nymbean uniform. He froze for a second, then turned around and headed another way slowly, so he wouldn't call their attention. He only managed to calm himself down a little bit when he finally got to the road that led to the Rockbell's house. He sighed in relief, after having avoided another confrontation. One group of soldiers trying to arrest him for being an alchemist had been enough. He didn't want any more contact with soldiers.

He went on walking quickly, anxiety building up as he got closer to the house. And then he finally saw it, a white spot in the end of the road, still far away from where he was. Alphonse walked as fast as his legs allowed him to walk. If he sped up a little more he would be running. The road to the big country house seemed so welcoming. He was going back to his family.

The airplanes invaded his imagination, dropping their bombs on the train station. Alphonse didn't want to imagine anything bad, but his mind didn't obey him. He suddenly saw it all inside his head. Edward in the station with his suitcase, finally arriving home after such a long time… Winry and Pinako waiting for him… the deafening sound of the aircraft engines and the explosions… Blood. Lots of blood.

It was silly. Winry and Pinako wouldn't wait for Edward at the train station because he never called to say when he was coming back. Still, Alphonse felt an urge to get home as soon as possible. He held onto his suitcase tighter and started running. Fear took control of him with no mercy, while he ran as fast as he could, his chest starting to ache as he breathed heavily the cold dry evening air.

"What on earth?" Pinako said when she opened the door to find Alphonse, bending forward with his hands on his knees and trying to catch his breath. "Are you all right?"

"I am. I am. How is everybody?" The boy asked, still breathing heavily.

"Winry and I are fine." She said.

"And brother?" Alphonse asked again in a hurry, his eyes pleading that he'd be all right.

"He's not here. He hasn't come back yet." She replied, feeling sad.

They were all worried about Ed and she knew Alphonse had expected him to be there. Pinako tried to look away from Al's disappointed expression and moved to the side so he could come in.

"He hasn't? But… has he written or called?" Alphonse insisted, although not very hopeful.

"We got a letter from him about a month ago, but it didn't say much. He was still in Creta."

Alphonse nodded and walked in at last, his eyes lost on the floor boards.

"Al…" Pinako called in a low voice.

"Yes?"

"Please try not to look so concerned for Edward in front of Winry. She's very worried herself already."

The boy mumbled something so she knew he had understood it and Pinako waited until he looked less nervous to call Winry. The blond girl showed up at the kitchen door, relieved to see Alphonse safe and sound, back at home.

"Al! Why didn't you call?" She said, hugging him tenderly.

"I'm sorry…" He said when she pulled away from him, knowing that he had already run out of excuses for not calling them.

"Do you know anything about Ed?" She asked eagerly.

Alphonse hated to bring bad news, but not bring any news at all didn't make him feel good either. He didn't say anything when Winry turned around and went to look through the window, lost in the depths of her own gloomy thoughts. Alphonse was wondering if she knew about the arrest order for the alchemists when she turned back to him again to ask something that had been troubling her a lot.

"Do you think he was arrested because he used to be an alchemist?"

"He can't use alchemy anymore." Alphonse said.

Winry was relieved somewhat, but her relief turned into anger as she walked into the kitchen and got the newspaper that was on the counter.

"Our country has gone mad! Grumman ordered the execution of lots of people, even Brigadier General Mustang!" She yelled, pointing at the first page of the newspaper and then handing it to Alphonse.

"Mustang, too?" He asked, very surprised.

"It was part of the deal." Winry explained. "At least they didn't get him yet. Seems like he's somewhere in the North. Someone blew up 4 Nymbean tanks and they found evidence of an alchemical reaction."

"Alchemical reaction?"

"They say it was Mustang. Grumman sent our own soldiers there to look for him." Winry continued, but Alphonse wasn't listening anymore.

He read the piece of news thoroughly then turned to Winry with a shadow of a smile on his face.

"They won't get Mustang in the North."

"Why not?" She asked.

"The evidence of an alchemical reaction… He doesn't leave this kind of evidence behind when he uses his fire." Alphonse explained.

"Then why did the Fuhrer send all those people there to kill him?"

"I'm pretty sure the Fuhrer is well aware that Mustang isn't there."

The girl stared at him very impressed. After a few seconds she started to laugh and Alphonse asked her if she was all right.

"I'm just happy to see that not everyone has really bowed to Nymbe." She explained.

"Yeah…" Alphonse agreed, wondering if Mustang's subordinates knew something about him.

They probably knew a lot more about what was going on in the army and about the arrests and executions. If only he could talk to Lieutenant Hawkeye, she would sure have some information for him. Maybe she even knew something about Edward. Mustang used to keep track on Ed and Al years before and Alphonse wouldn't be surprised if he still did. And when Mustang wasn't around, Hawkeye was in command. He could have shared some information with her before disappearing.

"Winry, I need to ask you a favor." He said, with a determined look on his face.

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Roy struggled with the net, trying to tie it to a metal hook on the wall of the 4-by-6-meter shelter. Another man, who had already introduced himself as Isaac Grinwald, was pulling on the other side of the rope, complaining that it wasn't long enough. Isaac and his family had arrived at the camp in the same truck that had brought Roy and Riza.

"Let's bring it closer to the corner." Isaac suggested, moving the bags he had left there to the other side of the shelter, while Riza held a candle so they could more or less see what they were doing.

"Mommy, I'm hungry." The little boy complained.

The woman and her two teenage girls were already checking the food supplies they had gotten. There was bread, potatoes, two big packages of rice, another package of lentils, two gallons of water, a package of salt and some canned food. It was supposed to last a few days and they could go get more water the next day. They got a slice of bread for the boy, but the girls decided to wait. There were camping stoves outside all around, about one for every 2 or 3 shelters. Other supplies they had gotten included old blankets, towels and some basic kitchen utensils.

Roy and Isaac finally managed to hang the first net and then proceeded with the second one. There were also 3 sleeping bags and some cardboard to cover the floor.

"I'll cook some rice for us." Isaac's wife, Abigale, told them, before leaving with the girls, Lucy and Ella.

"We'll take care of things here." Isaac said, his tired voice barely audible.

Roy checked the floor for spiders or anything that moved before spreading the cardboard over part of it, guided by the faint light of the candle Riza was holding.

"I don't want to sleep on the floor…" The boy complained to Roy.

"Nobody's sleeping on the floor, kid. We've got lots of cardboard."

"I don't want to sleep on the cadbord." The boy mumbled.

"We'll see where we will all sleep as soon as your mom and your sisters come back, Tim." Isaac told the 5-year-old boy.

They finished getting settled and went outside. Abigale had already gotten a camping stove closer to their shelter and was now cooking some rice. They all gathered around the fire, trying to keep warm.

"Where are you from?" Abigale asked Roy and Riza.

"Central City."

"We're from Dublith." Lucy said. "Our house was bombarded, but we hid in the basement."

They all stared at the small stove for a while, not exactly sure of something they could talk about. The only thing they had in common now was not the best topic for a more cheerful conversation. Ella was the first to break the awkward silence.

"Do you think we're going to stay here for long, Dad?"

"I have no idea." Isaac said.

"I don't want to sleep on the cadbox…" Timothy complained again, pulling on his mother's skirt.

They had plain rice for dinner and soon went all to sleep as everyone was exhausted. Ella had a health problem and couldn't be cold, so she lied on the net with her younger brother on her lap and after a brief discussion about who was going to sleep where, Roy and Riza convinced Abigale that she could take the other net for herself. It was probably more comfortable than the lousy sleeping bags or the cardboard and Abigale wasn't so young anymore.

"You're sure you won't be cold?" Roy heard Riza ask after he was already all wrapped in his own old blanket, lying only on the cardboard, as there weren't enough sleeping bags.

"No, I'm fine." He said sleepily.

"Maybe you can both squeeze in one sleeping bag?" Isaac's voice was heard in the dark.

"They're too small for two people." Lucy said.

"I'm good…" Roy insisted, thankful that the small size of the sleeping bags could help him avoid an awkward situation.

"I have an extra sweater in my bag if you want." Isaac said again.

"Thanks, Isaac, but I don't think I'll need it." Roy said.

Roy felt something cover him and looked to the side. Riza had spread her blanket, using part of it to cover him as well.

"You don't have to worry so much about me…" He said, turning to face the opposite wall since looking straight at Riza, even in the dark, was a little awkward considering how close to each other they were now, sharing the same shabby blanket.

"I just don't want you to be cold."

"Thank you." Roy mumbled to her, before closing his eyes to sleep.

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**April 15th, 1917**

Havoc looked at the clock, cursing the huge amount of work he still had to do. The only thing worse than the amount of work, was the work itself. He was gathering information from sight reports, trying to find out where some of the people from the wanted list were. The reports he was reading now said that one guy they were looking for had been seen in two different locations. Those locations made it quite obvious he was heading East and Havoc could even guess on which road he was probably traveling right now.

"_Idiot. He's gonna find a Nymbean post real soon…_" He thought, writing on his own report that he couldn't tell which way the wanted man was going because of the many dirt roads that originated from the main road in the area. He hoped the unspecific information he provided could help save the guy's life.

"I hate this." Fuery complained, laying his paperwork on his desk. "If we do our job like we're supposed to do, we're only helping them find these people."

"But if we don't…" Breda said in a way that made quite clear how his sentence should end.

Jean kept on reading the report he had on his hand. Alchemist, father of three, on the run, probably going South to try to cross the border and seek for protection in Aerugon territory. Nymbe hadn't attacked Aerugo because most of its army was already busy trying to maintain the recently-established control over Creta and Amestris. Other countries which hadn't allied with Nymbe were demanding that the refugee camps were spared and even sent troops to reinforce protection on the Aerugon borders. The situation was tense all over Europe and many people were talking about a war involving the whole continent. Havoc just couldn't imagine how many refugee camps would be necessary if that happened.

"Forget about that guy you were looking for." Falman told Fuery. "He's been arrested already."

"Damn. I thought he had a chance of escaping." The Sergeant said, very frustrated.

"Are we going to work overtime today… boss?" Breda asked with a little bit of uncertainty, mixed with an uncomfortable feeling that was eating everyone in that office from the inside.

"Don't call me that." Havoc moaned. "I never asked to be in charge of you. Promoted to First Lieutenant… I should tell them to shove this promotion up their asses…"

Breda, Falman and Fuery waited for an order on the overtime matter, but Havoc didn't say another word. He scanned some of the papers on his desk and got one that called his attention. The other three soldiers watched as he stretched his legs over his desk and lit a cigarette. The smell of cigarette smoke filled the room and Havoc kept staring at the white piece of paper he had on his left hand.

A copy of the execution order for Mustang. Havoc read it one more time, before shooting a glance at Mustang's desk. He was in charge and that was supposed to be his desk now, but Havoc wouldn't take it. How could he do that? He turned his eyes back to the paper and got his cigarette with his right hand. His friends didn't say a word when he pressed the burning end of the cigarette against the paper, making the name 'Mustang' quickly disappear.

"Enough of this crap." He said. "Let's go home."

"Aye, sir!" They all answered quickly, before shoving the documents in the desk drawers and getting their things to leave.

Havoc stayed behind to close the office. Lieutenant Hawkeye was the one who did that before, but now it was his task. He sighed, thinking of which bar he would go to get hammered. He definitely didn't want to be sober that night. He grabbed another cigarette the moment he left the building and was looking for his lighter, when someone stopped in front of him.

"Lieutenant Havoc, how are you?" Winry greeted him loudly.

He stopped, finding her happy-go-lucky attitude bothersome. Wasn't that girl supposed to be in the countryside?

"You're… Ed's girlfriend, aren't you?" He asked, looking for the little patience he still had left.

"Yes, it's so nice of you to remember me! It's been a long time, why don't we go somewhere to talk and catch up?" She invited him cheerfully.

He couldn't believe that invitation. He barely knew the girl. What the hell could a teenager want to talk about? He didn't even feel like talking to anyone. The only human contact he could wish for now was with either people who could sell him a drink or women who could take away his frustration for one night.

"Sorry, I'm tired." He said, with great effort not to just tell her to scram.

"It's just that I have sooo much to say…" She went on, pointing at a parked car on the street. "I'll buy you a drink."

"You… are…_Ed's_…girlfriend…" He said pausedly, hoping to make it clear that he found it inappropriate.

"Just get in the car, please…" She whispered in a hasty voice.

Havoc raised an eyebrow, staring incredulously at the girl. She pointed at the car again, with a broad smile. Then it occurred to Havoc that maybe she didn't want to just chit-chat about nonsense. She could have some information, or maybe even wanted his help. Edward was in the arrest list after all.

"Fine, I guess I need a drink anyway." He said, putting the lighter back in his pocket and getting in the car.

Winry got inside the car as well and turned on the ignition. Havoc looked at the back seat and saw a blue blanket covering something big, big enough to be a person.

"Who's there?" He asked.

The blanket moved a bit and a blond head showed up. Havoc was very surprised to see Edward's younger brother, Alphonse.

"Keep your eyes on the road and pretend that you're talking to Winry, please." The boy said with urgency.

Havoc knew that Alphonse was also on the arrest list, so he looked ahead again, like he and Winry were the only people in the car.

"We heard Grumman ordered Mustang's execution." Winry said.

"Yes, he did." Havoc confirmed it.

"And that Mustang disappeared." Alphonse said this time.

"Yup. Vanished into thin air. I just hope he's wise enough to keep hiding. But what is it that you want to talk about?"

"We haven't heard from Edward in a very long time. We thought that maybe you would know something about him."

Havoc sank on his seat, thinking that he was going to be sick. All he would hear lately were bad news. Nothing good. Nothing to make him think that there was a reason to go on.

"I'm sorry. I don't know anything about him." The soldier mumbled in a barely audible voice.

"Would Mustang know anything?" Winry asked.

"Even if he did know something about Edward, we can't ask him. I have no idea where he is."

"Maybe Lieutenant Hawkeye knows something about Ed? Mustang could have told her something."

"Hawkeye disappeared on the same day Mustang did. She left her dog tied to Sergeant Fuery's door and we haven't heard from her since."

"Really? Has Nymbe ordered her execution as well?" Winry asked very surprised.

"No. Not even her arrest."

Jean looked at the nearly empty streets, wishing that he had any good news to tell the two teenagers. He himself was feeling lost and depressed. Edward was missing, too. Perhaps he could find some information about the boy on the sight reports."

"Where was the last time you heard from Ed?" He asked the two of them.

"A month ago. He sent a letter from Creta."

"You think he's in Creta?"

"He was, but he should be back already."

"They're not allowing anyone to get in Amestris without a permit, not even Amestrians. He must be stuck in Creta." Havoc said, a nice feeling of hope growing inside him.

Edward was probably fine, despite not being able to come home and this was probably the first good thing he had heard that day.

"You kids should find Edward and get the hell out of this country. Go to Aerugo. They're taking refugees there and I don't see Nymbe attacking Aerugo any time soon."

"But… leaving Amestris?" Havoc heard Alphonse's scared voice ask.

"Better leave your home than be arrested in it."

They were all quiet for a while, both Winry and Alphonse thinking about Havoc's advice. Winry finally stopped near Havoc's place and the soldier got off, wishing them luck. He had finally heard some good news. Not exactly great news, but he would settle for them.

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**A/N: **Chapter 3 online! I really enjoyed writing this chapter for some reason. If you enjoyed it too, please leave a review. If you didn't enjoy it, write a review and tell me anyway. Your opinions are great, guys! So, Merry Christmas to every one! If I don't post another chapter this year, then… Happy New Year! I wish you all the best! =D


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA. *sniff*

I want to say thanks ssadropout, StarCatcher1858, aieika and Hina Kita for your reviews! I also want to say thanks to everyone who's reading, alerting and favoriting.

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**Chapter 4 – Sergeant Fuery's Decision**

**April 27th, 1917**

Roy was in the office, dealing with a huge amount of paperwork. The endless pages were covering his desk and some had fallen on the floor, so big the amount of work was. He read a few reports and tried to sign them, but the pen wasn't working. He looked for another pen, but the only ones he found weren't working either.

"Roy." A familiar voice called.

"I can't find a pen that works…" He mumbled.

"Roy, wake up."

Roy opened his eyes and was greeted by the thatched roof made of a mixture of wheat and rye. He sat up on his cardboard bed and saw Riza, squatting on the floor and looking at him quizzically.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"Just a silly dream." He answered, now taking a look around to see that only Riza and Abigale had already woken up. Ella was still lying on the net with her brother on her lap. The little boy's head moved up and down with her breathing. Lucy and Isaac were also sound asleep. Roy noticed that the blanket Riza used was now spread over him.

Two weeks had passed since the soldiers had arrived at the camp. It was spring, but the nights and mornings were still cold until the sun came to slowly warm up the land.

"They're giving away some vegetables today. Abigale is waiting in line to get some water, so I thought we could bring some food then go help her carry the water gallons."

"Of course… Isaac can take care of the kids." Roy said casually.

Riza smiled at his concern. During the last few days they had gotten used to the idea of watching over the boy and the two teenagers. Roy took the task seriously and had even scared away some teenage boy that was bothering one of the girls the other day.

As Riza waited by the door, Roy got up and folded the blankets. She watched as he brushed his teeth, spitting the water out the window and washing his face quickly. Roy rubbed his chin, annoyed by the 3-day beard on his face. He always thought he looked much better clean-shaven, but the razor blade he had was already dull.

"Ready?"

"Yes, let's go."

The warm morning sun was very pleasant at this hour. By noon it would be too strong for them to enjoy it, but Roy believed they could get the vegetables and water long before that. They arrived at one of the warehouses and there was a long line. People were walking back to their shelters carrying cabbages and carrots. Aerugon soldiers had registers with the names from the refugees so nobody would take more food than the others, but that delayed the process a lot. The good thing though, was that this way they divided the refugees so they knew how many people would come to each warehouse.

A couple of soldiers wearing a different uniform and speaking a foreign language were keeping people in line. They were from some country in the far west and were helping Aerugo protect the camps. Roy wondered if they were there because they had volunteered or if they had just been assigned the mission. A kid came running and bumped into one of the soldiers. The boy apologized immediately, looking very scared. The man just smiled at him and gave him a pat on his head. Roy and Riza watched the scene with content. After all, soldiers existed to help and protect people. Many times they were forced to fight and kill, but moments like that one just now, reminded them of why they had become soldiers in the first place.

"Mister Hawkeye!"

Riza looked to the side to see who had called Roy. She still found it weird when people addressed to him using her surname. She saw three young ladies waving at them and thought that Roy would never change.

"You must be Riza, right?" One of the girls said to her, after they greeted Roy. "It's so nice to meet you."

Riza just answered with a polite 'nice to meet you too' and the girls started talking about how Roy had helped them carrying water the other day. Their shelter was close to the one Roy and Riza were staying and as no man was staying with the girls they were very happy that Roy had offered to help them when they needed.

"We don't want to be a bother, but yesterday when it started raining we noticed there was a leak in our roof… That Aerugon soldier, Gary, said we could get some rye from the main warehouse near the entrance to repair the leak." One of the girls explained with an embarrassed look on her face.

Roy quickly offered to repair the roof for them and they thanked him, saying they'd save some food for them.

"There's no need, I'm happy that I can help with something." He said with an adorable smile before the girls left waving at them.

Riza just waved back quickly and looked away, slightly annoyed. Roy was no handyman. He was very lazy when it came to this kind of work, but of course things were completely different when pretty women were involved.

"Don't worry. I'm not cheating on you…" He joked, searching her expression for signs of jealousness.

"Whatever you do, it's your problem." She replied dryly.

"You jealous?" He asked with a smirk.

Riza didn't answer Roy's question and kept looking at the entrance of the warehouse, where the soldiers were giving the carrots and cabbages to people. Still, the happy way how the girls had greeted him and the charming look on his face when talking to them annoyed her. If they were really married, she would sure have the right to be jealous, but they weren't. Whatever he did, it was his problem, she repeated to herself.

"There are 8 women in that shelter… They need help of a man sometimes…" Roy insisted.

"I know."

Roy was quiet for a while, but soon he was feeling bored and tried to engage in a conversation with Riza, but all she gave him were short answers. They finally walked in the warehouse and only three people were ahead of them.

"Why are you angry at me?" Roy asked.

"I'm not angry."

"Then you're jealous."

"No, I am not jealous." She answered slowly, like talking to some tourist who didn't understand English well.

"Oh, come on… I could see the way you looked at them… I'm your husband. I would be annoyed if you just didn't give a damn." He kept on making jokes.

Riza had that serious expression most of the time, but Roy could tell when something bothered her. And right now, he was thinking that this situation _should_ bother her at least a little. After all they had spent the last 2 weeks pretending to be a couple and Roy would now tell anyone who talked to him that he was married. The idea of being married was actually interesting. It was like he belonged to one person and girls around him could only wish they were as lucky as the serious blond woman that shared the shelter with him.

Riza told the Aerugon soldier their names and the man looked at the records. Soon he found their names in the lists and the other soldier gave them a head of cabbage and a package of carrots.

"I'll take the cabbage, can you get the carrots, _pudding cup_?" She said, before turning around.

"Yeah, take the carrots, pudding cup…" The Aerugon soldier said and they all laughed at Roy.

Roy got the package and went after her.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"What?" Riza said like she had no idea of what he was talking about.

"You knew they'd make fun of me, you did it on purpose."

She kept on walking, wishing he would quit being so persistent. Sometimes he just lacked the ability of changing the topic. They walked around the warehouse and there was another big line, where the other soldiers were giving water gallons to people. They usually had different lines for food and water. They soon found Abigale, waiting with a couple of water gallons on the ground by her side.

"Did you have to wait for long?" Riza asked her.

"No, no, dear." She answered with a gentle smile, allowing Roy to get a gallon and exchanging the other gallon for the cabbage Riza was carrying.

They all headed back to the shelter and met Isaac and the kids, who were finally awake. Ella and Lucy soon came to inspect the fresh vegetables and Timothy came to give his mom a hug.

"Good morning." He said to her in a sleepy voice.

His mother laughed at Timothy's lazy smile.

"Can I play ball with the other kids?" The little boy asked his mother.

Abigale went inside, explaining to Tim why she didn't want him to be on his own with the older kids. Roy sat on the ground in front of the shelter, feeling bored again. There wasn't much to do in the camp. He could go to those girls' shelter and repair the roof, but he didn't want to do that immediately after they had asked him. It would look like he was too eager to help them and as they thought he was married to the Lieutenant, he should behave properly. After all he was the one who had come up with that arrangement, so he had better act accordingly.

Riza entered the house but soon came out, watching Ella, Lucy and Timothy make towers with small stones they had found. She glanced at Roy, who was sitting on the shade and he patted on the floor by his side, as asking her to sit down. She accepted his invitation, hoping he wouldn't start talking about the jealousness topic again.

"I wonder how the others are doing." Roy said instead.

"They're probably fine." Riza replied, without having to ask who he was talking about.

'The others' was how they referred to Havoc, Breda, Fuery and Falman. They were both silent for a while, until a truck carrying people went down the road about 50 meters away from them. The truck was taking people out of the camp, people who had been called to work somewhere in the cities or maybe in farms in the countryside. The refugee camp was a good source of cheap laborers for jobs in factories and farms. They would work in bad conditions for low salaries with no health care or any kind of benefit.

"It's been two weeks already. I hope it won't take long for them to call us." Roy said, indicating the truck with a movement of his head.

If they could get jobs in the city it would be more difficult for any enemy forces to find them. They were aware that any job they got would suck, but at least they would earn some money and stop depending on other people. Hanging around without doing anything useful was quite bothersome after a while.

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It was already evening in Amestris and a few people were still on the streets. The airplane attacks to the capital had stopped when the Fuhrer signed the deals and people were finally willing to go out on the streets after it got dark, despite the Nymbean trucks full of soldiers that were seen here and there.

Sergeant Fuery was walking home from work, thinking about the things he had to do before he went to sleep. He still had to walk Hawkeye's dog, clean up the mess in his kitchen and write some stupid report to the Nymbean authorities in the country, saying that he had no information on the whereabouts of Mustang. They all had been demanded to do so.

Although he was tired, Kain was alert to things around him, so it didn't take long for him to notice the two men in long dark coats following him. He didn't look behind because he didn't want them to know he was aware of their presence. Fuery walked by the entrance of his building but didn't go in. They might or might not know where he lived, but he knew they could follow him inside anyway. He turned right on an alley and started to run. He looked back and no one was after him. The Sergeant finally slowed down to catch his breath. Maybe they weren't following him after all. He had been so nervous in the last few days that he might be imagining things.

Yes, he was probably imagining things, he thought, when he opened the entrance door to his building and walked in. It was dark in the narrow hall that led to the stairs, so he only noticed the two men leaning against the walls when it was too late to run away.

"Sergeant Kain Fuery, please come with us." One of them said in an unfriendly tone.

"Who are you?" He asked, stepping away from them.

"Just come with us." The man repeated.

"If you won't show me any identification, I'm not going." He said stubbornly.

"We are not _inviting_ you to come." The other man said.

Fuery studied the two of them. The first guy was almost 6 feet tall and the other was slightly taller. The two of them were heavily-built and they probably had guns, otherwise they wouldn't be so confident threatening him, since he was carrying a .45 caliber.

"What do you want from me?" He asked in a low voice.

The Sergeant knew it would do him no good to call for help in that situation. Those two were probably under Nymbean orders. Mustang was missing. They had to be Nymbean soldiers trying to get information about him. Panic struck the Sergeant. They sure would have no problem torturing him to obtain the information they wanted. However, Fuery didn't want to go down without a fight.

"Don't make this difficult, Sergeant."

In a swift movement, Fuery got his gun and pointed at the tallest of them. Both men reacted at the same time. The tallest one got a grip of his wrist, forcing him to point the gun towards the ceiling and the other punched him on his face. They struggled for the gun for a few confusing moments, until Kain was finally disarmed.

Panting and sweating, the Sergeant tried to escape, but one of the men grabbed him by his collar and pushed him against the wall.

"Stop squirming, shrimp!" He yelled at him and got his own gun.

Kain froze when the cold metal pressed against his jaw.

"I don't have any information for you and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you." He said challengingly, searching for courage he barely had.

The man spat some blood from a cut in his lower lip on the floor, without letting go of the soldier. Fuery tried to remember how brave Mustang and Hawkeye had been when they had fought the homunculi years before. He wanted to be like that. He wanted to be brave like they were, especially now that they weren't around anymore.

"We're gonna call somebody's attention this way." The other man said, pushing the first to the side and grabbing the Sergeant by his hair.

In less than a second, the guy hit Kain's head against the wall hard, knocking him out.

When Fuery came to his senses again, he was on the back seat of a car, with his wrists tied together. The men who had attacked him earlier were sitting on each side of him and there was a third man driving.

"Now that you've finally calmed down, we can talk." The tallest guy said.

The car drove around the neighborhood for a few minutes, not going anywhere specifically, until it stopped in an empty street two blocks away from Fuery's apartment building.

"All you have to do is say 'yes' or 'no'." One of them told Fuery, whose wrists had already been untied.

"It's… It's just…" Kain started to say, unsure of what his answer should be.

"Make a decision quick, kid. Or we'll assume your answer is 'no'." The other guy said, before adding, "We don't have time to waste and I personally don't think you're worth all this trouble."

Mustang and Hawkeye had disappeared. The army had been subdued. Kain was doing a job that he hated. Was there anything to lose?

"Oh, crap… Just scram." The man by his right side said, opening the door of the car and pulling the Sergeant by his jacket.

"Yes!" Kain yelled. "Yes, I'll go!"

"Is that your answer? You sure?" The guy said and stopped trying to push him out of the car.

"I'm sure about it." He confirmed with a serious expression.

"Good. Meet us at this same place tonight at a quarter past midnight. If you're not here, we won't wait for you."

"I'll be here." Fuery guaranteed them, before getting off the car.

It was time for him to do something better than helping catch fugitives.

The office was even emptier the next morning, when Sergeant Fuery didn't show up for work. Havoc sent Breda to his building, but all the soldier found were signs of struggle at the entrance hall of the building and a messy apartment. Fuery and Black Hayate, the dog, weren't there anymore.

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**A/N: **Hello guys! Happy New Year! I'm posting another chapter to celebrate 2011! Next Friday or Saturday, there will be another one. So thanks a lot for reading and please leave a review! Remember, Fuery could be in trouble, so you don't want me to feel depressed and turn the fic into a CSI crossover, do ya? MUAHAHA! Just kiddin'… A great 2011 to you all!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Again? Oh, this makes me too depressed. I'm gonna start singing! _Eu quis dizer, você não quis me escutar..._ Ok, that's enough... The song is kinda depressing too. Let's get this over with. It all belongs to the cow!

I want to say thanks to LilDemonWarrior, StarCatcher1858, TheMcgabster, Hina Kita, Cafe Au Liet, ssadropout, mebh and LittleMissAngel for your great reviews! I also say thanks to everybody who's reading, favoriting and alerting. You're the best!

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**Chapter 5 – The Wilkinson's House**

**May 14, 1917 **

They had arrived at the Galva Camp by truck and now that they were leaving, it just couldn't be any different. At least the road to Kratovy was in much better condition than the one to the Galva Camp. Many workers were required in the big cities and Roy and Riza had finally been called to work. However, they still didn't know what kind of job they had been called to do, as refugees usually weren't told much. The night had been long. They had left the camp early in the morning on the day before and only stopped a couple of times. When the truck finally entered an urban area both Roy and Riza were alert again, looking around. That city was going to be their new home. Temporarily, they knew it, but sure an improvement from the conditions they were living in while staying in the camp.

The truck finally came to a halt in a square and some police officers came to talk to the driver. Soon the passengers were asked to get off the vehicle and the police officers got some documents and went on checking who was there. They checked all the passengers to see if they were included on the list they had and then let the truck driver leave.

The refugees just stayed there waiting with their baggage in the middle of the square. No sooner than the truck left, a man came to talk to the officers and showed them a piece of paper he had. The shorter police officer, a stout young man with sideburns, turned to the small crowd and started yelling.

"Paul Lewis, Michael Kinsey, Franklin Osmer…"

He called about eight people, all men, who went to talk to the guy who had just arrived and soon left with him. Roy heard them talking about a factory. Not long after that, an old man with a mustache and grey hair came, smoking a cigar and looking at the refugees from Galva. He gave a document to the officer, who started calling more people.

"Edmund Aylward, Newton Winbolt, Silas Brunger, Perry Dewdney, Roy Hawkeye…"

Roy straightened himself as he heard his name and glanced at Riza.

"We can meet here at the square once we both find out where we are going to work." He told her, before going after the others.

Six men gathered around the old guy who had called them, asking questions. The fact that they hadn't been told much since they had left Galva didn't make anyone happy. They were eager to know what they should expect from this new job opportunity.

"You're going to work at the steel mill in the Southern District. It's tough work and I ain't looking for no sissies, so if any of you has any health problems, don't even bother coming." The man explained.

They were all quiet as a way to convey their assent. No one would say anything because they didn't even dream of turning down an opportunity to have job.

"We are going to take the train from here, so just follow me." The man continued, as no one expressed any concerns or disagreement. "If you have any family here with you, you can take the train back in the evening."

The group started walking away from the square and Roy looked at Riza, who was waiting along with the others. They were alone in a strange city, far away from home. He didn't even know where he was going or where Riza would go later. After such a long time they had spent together, parting ways was weird. He waved a quick good-bye at her and she did the same, before he turned around and went with the group.

They walked a few blocks and stopped by the railway. There was no train station, not even a sign, but they stayed there. About ten minutes later, they heard the train whistle from far away. Another 3 minutes passed and they finally spotted the steam locomotive, slowly pulling the wagons full of iron ore. Roy watched the old guy take a few steps forward and position himself to get on the train, but the vehicle didn't slow down. The guy seemed to be preparing to jump on the moving train and that was exactly what he did. He just jumped and grabbed a handle on the first wagon, right after the locomotive. That was when they noticed other people hanging from outside the wagons, holding on handle bars that were fixed to all the wagons, traveling in an uncomfortable but economical way.

Roy also got on the train without difficulty, as the vehicle was slow. They locomotive puffed its way across the urban area, until it finally stopped at a small station in the outskirts of the city. The old guy got off and the others followed him.

"There's the steel mill." He said without enthusiasm, pointing a dirty index finger at the factory.

They all had to walk around the train to see the whole factory. It was a complex of dirty dark buildings, made of concrete, so ugly that they actually offended the beautiful landscape around. The main building and some of the smaller ones had long narrow chimneys, puffing horrifying amounts of black smoke. The smoke went up in the air and dissipated more or less, making the air all around smoggy. The smell of burned coal greeted the newcomers.

Just by the train tracks there was another set of smaller tracks. A group of about ten men arrived pushing mining wagons filled with shovels. They climbed up the train wagons and laid wooden ramps on them, using their shovels to drop the iron ore on the ramps, from where the ore fell in the mining wagons, carefully positioned on the side of the train.

"Okay fellas, let's go inside. You have to register and we have to see where you are going to work."

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Riza was still waiting at the square. An hour and a half had passed since Roy had left with the other guys. Some women had left to work in a restaurant, a guy was called to work in a shop, a teenage girl had been called to work in a school and some more people had been called too, but she hadn't heard where they'd go. Apart from her there were only five more people still waiting.

She stood there patiently, with her suitcase by her side, trying to keep her mind busy with anything else but the present situation. She heard the police officers talking to somebody and turned around to see the man who had just arrived. He was slightly fat and had grey hair, a mustache and a beard. He talked to the officers in an informal way, like they were friends. The officer asked for something and he shrugged then showed his empty hands, laughing.

"He said his boss asked for a woman to work in her house but he forgot to bring the document." The officer told his companions.

"I remember her name… More or less…" The guy went on.

"Sir, we ask for these documents to keep track on the refugees, so we know they will be doing legal work." The other officer told the man.

"Oh my…" The old man said, scratching his head. "Can I bring it later?"

"Where do you work?"

"At the Wilkinson's house. I'm the gardener, Harold Campbell."

"Wilkinson? Victoria Wilkinson's house? The writer?" The older police officer asked enthusiastically.

The guy nodded with a smile and the officers happily offered to go pick the documents personally later. That Victoria Wilkinson had to be famous there for them to be so excited.

"What's the name of the girl she's hiring, Mr. Campbell?" They asked.

"It's… Hm… Liza something…"

Riza grabbed her suitcase and went to talk to them, while the officers checked the list and asked Harold if the name wouldn't be 'Riza'.

"Yes, yes! Oh, my memory just isn't the same any more." He said with a sheepish smile. "Hey, that must be you we're talkin' about." He then said to Riza, when she walked towards him.

The officers just crossed out her name from the list and said good-bye. Harold introduced himself to Riza and offered to carry her suitcase. She thanked him and said she could carry it herself, so they left to the main street.

"So… Miss Hawkeye, where are you from?" Harold asked in a good mood.

"Amestris."

"I see. Things going bad there, huh?"

"Yes."

"Did you come with your family?"

"My husband. He's going to work in the steel mill."

"I see…"

Riza noticed the smile disappear from Harold's face for a moment and come back again, although a lot more discreet this time.

"The steel mill…" He mumbled to himself, thinking about all the things he had heard about that place and some of the other factories around. 'Sweatshops' was how they called many of these factories, where most of the workers were refugees and immigrants.

They turned right on a nice-looking street, full of big fancy houses with huge yards. Some of the larger properties would take up half a block.

"Misses Wilkinson is a famous novel writer, you know." Harold said. "Her husband and her younger son were in the army and they died during some conflicts in the south about a decade ago. We all miss them. I've been working there for almost forty years now. They're good people."

They were silent for a moment, just walking slowly down the street. Harold didn't seem to be in a hurry.

"Are there more people working in the house?" Riza asked him after some time.

"There's my wife, Hope… and Nancy. There was Helen, but she got married and left. Can I ask you what kind of job you had in your country?" He asked her back, just out of curiosity.

"I worked in an office." Riza said, since it was no lie.

"Now that's boring. I could never work in an office. I like to work outside, you know."

"It wasn't bad." She said. And it wasn't. Now she actually missed it a lot. Even the overtime she missed, the long hours late at night, when she shared the office with Roy only.

Harold went on talking about how he wouldn't like to work in an office because reading gave him headaches and working in an office sure demanded that the person read a lot. He then started talking about the garden at the Wilkinson's house and the flowers and vegetables he planted. Riza thought that he had to be really passionate about his job, as she had never heard anyone describe azaleas in so much detail as he was now doing.

"And there's the place…" Harold said when they finally stopped in front of one of the biggest houses on the street.

It was a two-story-house painted in elegant reddish-brown, with white windows and door. The front yard was decorated with big trees and flowers. The azaleas Harold had talked about were planted all along the white metal fence that circled the property. There were some animal statues made of stone all over the yard, carefully positioned so they wouldn't seem out of place. The only thing that didn't seem right was the grass, which was a bit too tall, and some weeds invading the garden here and there. Since Harold was the only one working in the garden, Riza wasn't surprised. The front yard was big and he had mentioned that the backyard, where he grew tomatoes, carrots, and some other vegetables, was even bigger.

They walked around the house and entered it through the back door. It was the staff entrance, Harold explained. Riza looked around the big hall, illuminated by the sunlight coming from the two windows by the door. There were some paintings, photographs and a mirror on the walls. There were also an old leather couch and two armchairs at the other end of the room and a round rug placed in front of them. A bookcase and a big wooden chest were placed just by the couch. That sure was a nice place to read, as the fancy lamps there would provide some good light in the evening.

"This is the staff area." Harold explained. "You can stay here if you want to read or just relax a bit. I'll show you your room in a minute, but let's talk to Mrs. Wilkinson first.

Riza followed Harold to the main hall and upstairs, to what Harold said was Mrs. Wilkinson's office. He knocked on the door and they waited for an invitation to come in.

"You can leave the door open, Harold." Victoria said as they walked in.

Victoria was very elegant. She had short dark hair, perfectly combed. Her big dark eyes, partially covered by her half moon glasses, looked like the eyes of a clever woman. She stood up when they entered her office and Riza could see she was about the same height as her.

"You must be Riza Hawkeye." She said with a polite smile.

"Yes, madam."

"I hope your trip here wasn't too tiresome."

"It wasn't so bad." Riza said, although the only trip worse than the one from the camp to Kratovy she had ever made was the one from Amestris to the Galva Camp, not long before.

"As Harold probably told you already, I need a new employee to help with the housework. It's a big house and Hope and Nancy have been overloaded since Helen left us."

Victoria asked Harold to water her plants and then invited Riza to sit down so they could talk. She was interested in knowing a bit more about the woman she was going to hire to work in her house, so she started asking about Riza's family, work, and country. Riza avoided giving her too much information, especially because she had to lie about some things, so she answered all the questions without much detail. Victoria just assumed she didn't like to talk much.

"The war is a dreadful thing, driving people away from their homes…" Mrs. Wilkinson said with a sigh, after Riza answered her questions about the Galva Camp. "I hope you don't mind my asking." She added. "I am a writer, so I tend to be curious about things I am not familiar with."

"I don't mind."

Harold walked in with the watering can to water the plants in the office. Everything was so calm in that house that Riza was now thinking she was lucky to find work in such a place.

"Harold, those lilies need some more sunlight, would you take them outside?" Victoria asked the old man.

"Of course." He said jovially.

Harold got the vase and was just about to leave, when an old woman wearing a long night gown came in staring at Riza, with a confused expression on her face. Riza stood up and was going to introduce herself to her, but didn't have the time.

"Charlotte, why are you here?" The old lady asked in an angry voice.

"I'm sorry, madam, my nam-" Riza started to say, before the lady interrupted her.

"And where's Jasper, that ingrate dog?" The woman's voice started to get louder.

Harold tried to calm her down and take her outside, but she wouldn't go.

"Mother, please…" Victoria asked in a loud voice, trying to get her attention. "That's our new employee." She added.

"Charlotte?" The old lady asked again with creased eyebrows, clearly lost.

Victoria was going to explain, when they all heard someone running noisily down the hall, from the other side of the house.

"Charlotte?" A dark-haired boy popped in the office, with a broad smile on his face. "Charlotte is here?"

"No, that's Riza Hawkeye, our new employee." Victoria said and added. "Grandma Lorraine is confused."

The boy's smile faded away and turned into a grumpy expression.

"She's never coming back, is she?" He asked, now looking down at his own feet.

"I believe it's much better this way, dear." Victoria said sourly. "Will you introduce yourself properly, now?" She asked.

The boy glanced at Riza, but didn't say a word. He just bolted out of the room, and they could hear his feet thumping noisily all the way, until a door was slammed shut.

"What on earth is going on here?" Another loud voice said and a chubby woman showed up at the door.

"Hope, help me here." Harold pleaded.

"Now where's Jasper, that assho-" The old lady started again, raising a shaky hand in the air.

"Mother, please watch your language." Victoria said, but it was useless.

Riza just stood there quietly, surprised by how many different swear words the old woman could use in one sentence, as Harold and his wife gently tried to calm her down. Once she was finally quiet, they heard a door being unlocked.

"I hate this house!" The boy yelled at the top of his lungs, before the door was slammed again.

The old woman started talking in a not very polite way again and Victoria got up from her chair to close the door, leaving the noisy mess outside.

"I'm truly sorry about this." She said. "My mother is very confused, but she will soon get used to you."

Victoria sat down again, ignoring the rest of the argument taking place outside her office.

"Well… As you see, this is a big house and there is a lot to do here. I will tell Hope to show you everything later, but I believe you must be very tired now. She can take you to your bedroom so you can rest." Victoria concluded with a polite smile.

"Thank you, Mrs. Wilkinson."

Riza left the office and Victoria closed the door after her. There was no one in the corridor now, so she thought it might be better to go back to the staff area and look for Harold or Hope or even the girl called Nancy. She glanced at the end of the corridor and saw a small head, staring at her through the half-open door. The boy's hazel eyes had an upset expression. He went back inside and closed the door, gently this time. Riza went back to the staff area, completely confused by all that.

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**A/N:**They're finally out of the camp, yay! Maybe it's not what everyone was expecting, but I enjoyed writing with the new characters. If you want to tell me what you think of them, I'll be pleased. So as always, I ask you to leave a review if you can. It makes me happy and more inclined to write happy stories! Although I've recently watched a bit too many episodes of Cold Case and started writing a new fic that's not very happy… Anyway, enough babbling. Thanks a lot for reading and see you next update!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to a certain cow, not to me…

I want to say thanks to StarCatcher1858, IcePhantom, Hina Kita, LittleMissAngel, mebh, ssadropout, Chloe and womanking for your great reviews! Another big thanks to everyone who's read, favorited or alerted this story.

And, special thanks to ssadropout, for your wonderful work beta-reading this chapter!

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**Chapter 6 ****– New Jobs, New Lives **

**May 14, 1917**

Victoria Wilkinson's house was huge, but no one could possibly feel lonely in there. Riza walked down the stairs and to the back hall where the staff area was and heard a woman singing. She followed the voice to a half open door close to the stairs and looked through it for the first time. Steam went up in the air, coming from large pans on the stove of the big kitchen. A girl wearing a white blouse, a light blue skirt and an apron was stirring the food in a skillet and singing. Riza knocked on the wooden door to call her attention, and the girl stopped singing and raised her dark brown eyes from the pan to see who had arrived, although she didn't stop stirring the food.

"You must be Nancy," Riza said to her.

"Nancy Murray, yes, that's me. Are you Ms. Hawkeye?" she asked.

"Oh, here you are!" A happy voice came from the hall and Hope walked in the kitchen as well. "I'm Hope Campbell, by the way."

Hope was a chubby woman with short curly black hair whose voice could be heard from probably the other side of the house. She greeted Riza enthusiastically and apologized for what she called "the little commotion", referring to grandma Lorraine.

"Grandma Lorraine had a stroke years ago and she's a little confused, but she's a wonderful person," Hope said.

"After all the swear words, it will be hard to convince her…" Harold said, joining them in the kitchen as well.

"She's not always like that," Hope explained, before asking Riza to follow her to what would be her bedroom.

"Watch out for the rats in the corridor!" Harold said with a smile.

"Oh, please… There are no rats!" Hope complained. "He's joking."

They went back to the hall and down a narrow dark corridor by the entrance door. There was no light and they couldn't see a thing, but Hope easily found the door to a small empty bedroom. There was a single bed, a nightstand with a lamp and a wardrobe. From the big window Riza could see the backyard and the vegetables Harold was growing. The green curtains had a flower pattern that didn't really match the brown leaves from the wallpaper, but despite the weird décor, the bedroom wasn't bad at all. And sleeping in a bed again, after a month in a refugee camp, was just the best thing Riza could imagine.

"You can unpack if you want. Let me just show you the bathroom in case you want to take a bath," Hope said in her loud voice. She had to have one hell of a set of lungs to talk that loudly with no effort.

Hope finally left, promising to take her for a tour around the house later. The first thing Riza did as soon as she was alone was find a good place to hide the gun she had managed to bring. She didn't like how emotionally dependent on guns she had become, but the fact was that she felt safer when carrying one. She then unpacked her things and decided that a warm bath was everything she needed to feel better than she had felt for days.

"Lunch is ready."

Riza almost jumped when she heard Nancy's voice a meter away from her in the dark corridor, after she left the bathroom a few minutes later. The young girl didn't seem to notice she had startled her, as she just turned around and headed back to the light of the hall. Riza followed her to the kitchen, where Harold and Hope were already sitting by the table, waiting for them so they could start eating.

"So, Harold told me that your husband is working at the steel mill," Hope said.

"Yes, I believe he starts today."

"How long have you been married?"

"Two years," Riza repeated the same lie she had told Abigale at the Galva Camp. At least Roy would remember that part of the story they had come up with, so if he got the chance to talk to them, he wouldn't say anything different.

"No kids, yet?" she asked again.

"No."

"Too bad. But you're still young, you have plenty of time. We would all love to have another kid running around this house. Aidan is nine years old already. He'll soon grow up and leave the house."

"I hope he does better than Jasper…" Harold said.

"Of course he will! Aidan is a great kid," Hope defended the boy.

"Can I ask you who Jasper is?"

Harold and Hope exchanged looks for a second. Riza could see it was a delicate matter and thought they might not answer her question. However, Hope decided it would be better to tell the story than let her find out about it on her own later. Jasper was Victoria's older son and Aidan's father. Jasper's younger brother, Samuel, who had been in the army and died during religious conflicts in the south eight years before, had been a successful and honorable man. Jasper on the other hand, couldn't be more different.

"He got involved with a prostitute and they had Aidan," Harold went on with the story, "That woman threatened to make a scandal if he didn't take the kid, but Jasper was a lousy drunk who couldn't keep a job. So Victoria took Aidan in when he was about 6 months old."

"Is that woman this Charlotte that Lorraine was talking about?" Riza asked.

"Well, yes," Hope said, "She didn't look like you at all, but Grandma Lorraine's memory isn't the best."

"She mistook the milkman for Jasper once, threw a shoe at him," Nancy added and Harold laughed, though the women didn't seem to think that was funny.

Victoria had found the incident very embarrassing at the time.

"So Jasper doesn't live here, I presume?" Riza asked again.

"No. He comes sometimes and stays for three or four days then leaves again," Hope explained.

Harold thought it would be a nice time to change the topic to something a little more cheerful, especially because he expected Aidan to come down at any moment. It was Saturday and the boy didn't have to go to school, so that could only mean one thing. Harold started talking about his flowers again, but soon stopped.

"Hello, Aidan," Hope, Harold, and Nancy greeted the boy as he walked in the kitchen.

Aidan had already had lunch some time ago and he didn't have much to do, so he came downstairs after Harold.

"Hello," he said, not looking at anyone and staring at his own shoes instead.

Aidan sat on a chair by Hope's side and rested his arms on the table, looking upset. Hope pushed her plate to the side and hugged him so tight that Riza wouldn't be surprised if the boy suffocated. He was probably used to it already, because he didn't seem to mind.

"Now what's going on in this little head?" Hope asked with a broad smile.

"I'm sorry I slammed my door. And I don't really hate this house," he said.

"Oh, honey… We all know you didn't mean it. You were just upset."

The boy glanced at Riza and she could see from his reddened eyes that he had been crying.

"Are you the new house maid?" he asked her.

"I'm Riza Hawkeye. It's nice to meet you, Aidan," she said with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you, too," he said shyly.

Harold finished eating and got up. Aidan jumped from his chair immediately, claiming that Harold had promised to let him help to take care of the garden. Hope laughed at the boy's excitement, as Harold said it would be good to have an assistant.

The man washed his plate and left for the garden, followed closely by the little boy. Since Aidan's father wasn't around often, the boy needed a paternal figure in his life. Riza would soon notice Harold was Aidan's role model. Not a very good one, Harold himself would say, but the only man that was around him constantly.

"Aidan is the son we never had," Hope said to Riza, as they started cleaning the kitchen. Nancy was already planning dinner, and they soon left her alone to take a tour around the house.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

When Roy left the factory at about six o'clock in the afternoon, he could feel the mixture of sweat and soot sticking to his skin. The chief of production had put him to work at the sinter plant where the iron ore was treated before being taken to the blast furnace, in which the next step of the process took place. The place was hot as hell and the work was very tiresome. Roy had spent the whole afternoon putting the iron ore inside a machine using a shovel. His arms and hands ached, so he didn't find it so easy to travel by train holding to the handlebars this time.

One of the guys had told him that the trains would come and go, carrying wood, iron and other minerals to different factories every day and night. He would have to jump off the train a few blocks from the main square and in a different place from the one he had taken the train before, but it shouldn't be difficult to find the way to the square. Moreover, he could come back to the factory later at night. Almost all the workers slept at the factory because they had no other place to stay. Very few had a house to go to at the end of the day.

Roy felt the wind on his face, feeling relieved to be outside. The heat in the factory was terrible. He tiredly shifted his hold on the handle bar, and watched the beautiful scenery go by for the next hour. Finally, he jumped off the wagon at the place he was told. The city center was lively at this hour. There were quite a few cars and some horse drawn carriages. All kinds of people could be seen. People wearing fancy expensive clothes, walking slowly by the street and chatting in low polite voices; students talking loudly and waving their bags as they walked; workers going home quickly, looking tired, many of them covered in dirt or grease.

Roy managed to find the main square and wondered if Riza would be there waiting for him. He didn't see the police car that had been there in the morning, so all the refugees had probably been called. He crossed the street and entered the square. And then he saw her. She had already changed her clothes and was sitting on a wooden bench near the place where they had been waiting early in the morning. Roy just had to smile at her. It was like coming home, even though he didn't have one anymore. The only connection to their lives in Amestris was now in each other.

"Here you are," he said, as she stood up, also smiling at him.

"Is the factory far from here?" she asked.

"About one hour by train. At least I don't have to pay for the ride."

"That's good."

"And where are you working?"

"In a house. Hope said I could take you there, so you know where I'm staying. It's not far from here."

Roy agreed to go and see the place and it took them only ten minutes to get there. The Brigadier General looked astonished at the big house, as they stopped on the street in front of it.

"This place is huge!" he said.

"It is."

"Nice people?"

"Yes, they are. It's a good job. What about the factory?"

Roy made a weird face and then took on an annoyed expression. He started complaining about the heat, the smell of burning coal, the dust and how tiresome his job was. Riza wasn't surprised, considering that not only his clothes but also his face and arms were all dirty.

"I never thought I'd say that, but I miss the work at the office, with the big piles of documents and all…" he went on, running his hand through his hair, which was dirty and greasy. "I'm completely covered in this black dust… I'm going to take a shower at the factory later tonight, but there were too many people there now. And they don't have anything to heat up the water. Winter is gonna suck…"

Riza heard a door open and looked at the house. Victoria Wilkinson, the mistress of the house, came out to the front yard and walked quickly towards them. The look on her face made it clear she was angry about something.

"What are the two of you doing here?" she asked disapprovingly.

"Mrs. Wilkinson, this is my husband, Roy," Riza introduced him to her. "We were just talking."

Roy greeted the woman, but she still wasn't happy.

"What will the neighbors think if they see you talking on the street in front of my house? My employee? Go talk inside, I don't want you here on the street."

"I'm sorry, madam," Riza apologized, but Victoria wasn't done yet.

"How on earth did you get dirty like this, Mr. Hawkeye?"

"I'm working at the steel mill," he explained.

"My God… Go take a bath before anything, please. If you even go near the kitchen looking like that, poor Nancy is going to have a heart attack."

Roy didn't know if he was happy to be able to take a warm bath or annoyed by the way she treated him. Nonetheless, she was Riza's new boss and he would have to be nice if he didn't want to get her in trouble.

"Yes, madam," he made an effort to say, before she went back in and they walked around the house to the staff entrance.

Harold was putting away his gardening tools once he had finished for the day, and Aidan was yanking weeds from the ground around the rose bushes. They both greeted Roy, although Aidan barely looked at him, staring at his own shoes again in a shy manner.

Riza was somewhat happy that neither Nancy nor Hope saw Roy before he got to the bathroom. She got a clean towel from the laundry room and told Roy through the door that she would hang it on the doorknob.

"Who were you talking to, dear?" Hope asked when she went back to the hall.

"Roy. He's taking a bath."

"Oh, your husband! That's nice of him to come here!"

"He wasn't coming in, but Victoria didn't want us to be talking on the street," Riza felt an explanation was called for.

"Oh, yes… What the neighbors will think, right?" Hope lowered her voice this time, with a slightly sarcastic tone. "Will he be joining us for dinner?" she then asked.

"I don't know… we don't want to bother you."

"Bother? Oh, please… Besides, I'm pretty sure they don't serve any decent food in the factory. Mrs. Wilkinson certainly won't mind. Helen's husband used to stick around all the time before they got married and she didn't mind as long as Helen did her job and as long as the neighbors didn't see them…"

When Roy came out of the bathroom, clean but wearing the same dirty clothes because he had left his suitcase at the factory, Harold and Hope seemed very interested in talking to him. However, dinner was going to be served for the masters of the house in fifteen minutes, at eight o'clock precisely, and everyone was rushing to get things done before that, so they didn't have much time to talk to him.

"Can I help somehow?" Roy asked Riza, who was sweeping the floor while Nancy finished cooking and Hope set the table at the dining room.

"I don't know what you could do now," she confessed, as she still wasn't very familiar with the housework routine there.

"Why don't you help Nancy with the dishes?" Harold said to him. "Oh, wait. Let me at least get you a clean shirt first, or you'll scare Nancy to death with all the dirt on your clothes."

"It seems Nancy is a little obsessed about cleaning," Riza explained to him, while Harold went to the laundry room to get one of his old shirts for Roy.

Nancy was bouncing up and down in the kitchen, chopping some fresh vegetables for the salad, stirring the soup, watching the meat in the oven and mashing potatoes. She said a quick 'hello' to Roy when he walked in, and Harold told her that he was going to help. The girl just pointed unceremoniously at the dirty pans on the sink and threw an apron to him.

Roy stared at the light green apron decorated with flowers and crocheted laces, thinking that he didn't want to wear that at all. And he wouldn't, if he weren't wearing Harold's shirt. It took Riza great effort not to laugh when she joined them in the kitchen and found Roy in the cute lacy apron, washing the pans while Nancy finally finished the last dish and Hope took it to the dining room.

After the Wilkinson family had dinner, the staff all sat at the table in the kitchen to eat too. Hope and Harold were very happy to have new people to talk to, so they were all chatting long after they all finished eating.

"How did you two meet?" Hope asked Roy and Riza.

Luckily, they had already been asked that before, so they had come up with a story to tell that wasn't actually a lie. They just had to omit certain details.

"Roy was my father's student," Riza said.

"Oh, that's nice," Hope said, "I bet your father was very happy for you."

"He died before we got together," Riza added, but regretted it immediately.

That was just unnecessary information and it wasn't even part of the story they had told before, to Isaac and Abigale at the camp, but it had just slipped. Riza said to herself that she shouldn't encourage conversations about their past. Roy on the other hand, didn't seem to worry.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. But he would certainly be happy," Hope replied.

"I actually think he would kill me," the Brigadier General said with a laugh.

He wasn't lying. At that time when he was studying alchemy, he really thought that Berthold Hawkeye would kill him if he ever got near his daughter. He was a bit older than her, and although the difference didn't mean much now, it did back then.

"Would he?" Harold asked laughing. "I think he would complain and threaten you at first and soon start asking about grandchildren."

"You should have kids. We are all getting old and this house is getting too quiet," Hope added.

Riza couldn't understand how she could possibly consider the house quiet. Roy just laughed and gave Riza that mischievous look he always had before playing his part as the husband.

"Can you imagine us as parents? I'd be sorry for our kids…"

"Nonsense!" Hope said cheerfully.

They all laughed and soon got up to clean the table. Roy would have to go back to the factory and they, too, had to go to sleep. Hope insisted that Roy come back the next day, and when he left later, he wasn't feeling so lost anymore. At least there would be somewhere to go after work the next day. The Wilkinson's house could be noisy, but it was sure a nice home.

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**A/N: **Hello! Chapter 6 is online, yay! It was fun to write and I hope it will be fun to read as well. As always, I'm waiting for your reviews! Suggestions, criticism, questions or threats are all welcome! (Ok, maybe not threats… LOL) Well, I see you next update then. Thanks a lot for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Me not own anything. If the police come after me, me not speak English. LOL! FMA belongs to the cow!

I want to say thank you to StarCatcher1858, Hina Kita, LittleMissAngel, mebh and ssadropout for your wonderful reviews!

I also want to say thank you to ssadropout for your awesome beta-reading work!

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**Chapter 7**** – Your Life or Your Principles **

**July 10th, 1917**

Almost two months had passed since Roy and Riza had started on their new jobs. Riza was now used to the work in the Wilkinson house, and there was really a lot to be done. Victoria liked her home to be perfectly clean, so Riza and Hope had a lot of work to do. Nancy worked mostly in the kitchen, so she couldn't help with the laundry or the cleaning much.

Today, however, even Nancy had to help with the cleaning. Victoria had found ants wandering in her beloved library, and her reaction to that was dramatic, to say the least. Ants near the collection of books she was so proud of. That might be enough to give her a heart attack. Hope and Riza had to take all the books from the bookcases and clean everything. Harold came to look for holes in the walls and on the floor where the ants could be coming from, to fill them with some ant poison that he claimed to be his own secret recipe.

They were all busy in the library when Grandma Lorraine came, looking confused at them, carrying her empty plate.

"I'm hungry," she complained.

"You just had toast, grandma," Hope said patiently. "You don't remember? I took it to your bedroom."

"No, I didn't eat it," Grandma Lorraine said in an upset voice. "The bird ate it."

Riza told Hope she could deal with that and took Lorraine to her bedroom, promising to make her more toast.

"Thank you, you're so sweet," the old lady said when Riza brought her another plate, "but that little bird will eat my toast. It hides in my bedroom and eats my food."

Riza sighed, feeling sorry for the woman. Grandma Lorraine lived in her own little world, where many things that didn't make any sense at all happened, with the sole purpose of annoying her. Some days the world was just one big conspiracy to make her upset. And a couple of weeks ago, her confused mind had invented the bird that supposedly ate the food she couldn't remember she herself had eaten.

Riza had told her many times that there was no bird, but that approach just didn't work at all.

"If you stay here you will see the bird. It's hiding because it heard your voice," Lorraine continued.

Riza had to go back to work, but Grandma Lorraine didn't want to be alone. She thought of a way of making the lady understand that the bird wasn't real, but it would sure be useless.

"I have an idea," Riza told Lorraine. "Wait a minute."

Grandma Lorraine watched with a questioning look as Riza left and came back carrying Whiskers, Aidan's fat black and white cat.

"I'll leave Whiskers here and he'll get the bird if it comes back, okay Grandma?" she told the lady.

Everyone in the house called Lorraine 'Grandma', and as Lorraine didn't appreciate changes in her routine, even Riza called her that. The lady smiled at her, happy with the idea. She liked the cat, and Whiskers was so lazy he could sleep there the whole day.

Riza joined the others at the library. Grandma Lorraine apparently stopped worrying about the bird, because she didn't mention it for the rest of the day. Once they finished cleaning the library, they had to help Nancy in the kitchen and then do the rest of the housework, now behind schedule. Harold was busy too, because there had been a storm the night before, and the strong winds had turned the yard into a chaotic mess of leaves and broken tree branches.

When Roy arrived at the end of the day, the house was still in a whirl of activity. Riza came to open the door for him, but barely had time to say hello. Dinner would be served for the Wilkinson family soon, and Nancy was going crazy. Roy was already used to the house now. He would come every evening after work and stay for a while. He usually helped a little in the kitchen and then had dinner with the staff. Victoria didn't mind that he came. She preferred that he came in than stayed outside talking to Riza, where the neighbors might see them and start gossiping.

As Riza had just disappeared into the kitchen again, he went to the laundry room to get a towel and some clean clothes. He got a shirt and stared very surprised at the light grey cotton. All the dust from the factory that had impregnated in the cloth was gone, and the shirt had its original color back.

"I can't believe this is clean again. Thank you," he told Riza, when he met her at the hall, before heading to the bathroom.

"I can't believe it, either."

Hope walked past the two soldiers, greeting Roy in a hurry.

"That's why I love you," Roy told Riza, with his most charming smile.

"They're so cute," they heard Hope say to Harold in the kitchen.

Roy used to do his own laundry, but he didn't have much time and he could never get his clothes properly clean by himself. That's why Riza often got his clothes to wash them along with the laundry she had to do anyway. Still, Roy was slightly annoyed. His Lieutenant didn't belong in a house, cleaning and doing laundry, especially his.

The hot water made him feel alive again. Evenings were the part of the day Roy liked the most and he would spend the whole day thinking about the moment he would see his Lieutenant again. They would sit down to have dinner, chatting and laughing. Harold would make some dirty joke, and Hope would try to get Roy and Riza to leave the work for them and go spend some time alone. Their arrangement had become a little bit of a problem, since Hope seemed to think they needed a little more romance in their lives.

However, Roy didn't mind the embarrassing situations Harold and Hope would get them into. He would sure be lost without Riza. Working at the factory was too damn boring, tiresome and frustrating. Maybe Grumman was right. He would probably go crazy and go back to Amestris to blow up enemy aircrafts if he were alone.

Riza was now slicing carrots for the salad, while Nancy came to inspect the slices and be sure everything was the way she liked. Nancy was quiet and shy, but she ruled the kitchen like an empress. Riza just nodded absently as the girl told her to cut narrower slices. Why did Roy have to do that? He had gotten used to making jokes like that one a few minutes before. He would say something cute and smile in a lovely way, like he found it funny to pretend to love her. At first she didn't really mind. It was just his lousy sense of humor. He was the ladies-man, with the sexy smiles and mischievous looks that made girls go crazy. And he loved the fact that their arrangement gave him the opportunity to flirt with her without running the risk of getting shot.

Soon Roy joined their battle to have dinner ready on time. He saw the big pile of dirty dishes and pans, grabbed the first apron he found and started washing them. Harold walked in the kitchen sniffing the air, pleased by the wonderful smell of Nancy's cooking. He then turned to Roy with a smirk.

"And what's with that pink lacy apron you're wearing?" he asked.

"It's the only one I found," Roy answered.

"Did you see what your husband is wearing?" Harold asked Riza.

"Yes, very cute," she said, laughing a little as Roy turned around for her to see his lovely outfit.

"What, you don't like it?" Roy asked her, laughing.

"I bet she would like it if it was the only thing you were wearing," Harold said, before laughing loudly.

They both went back to what they were doing quickly, embarrassed by the joke. Harold was terrible. Even Roy was embarrassed by his comments sometimes. Roy turned away from the sink to cough loudly, but made an effort to stop before Nancy complained.

They had dinner a little later that night and almost everybody went to bed immediately afterwards. Riza and Roy went to sit in the hall, since the train Roy took to get back to the factory would take some time to come, and he didn't like to be waiting outside for long.

Riza got the newspaper to read and didn't talk much to him. Roy could see something was bothering her. He knew her too well and could tell when she was hiding her annoyance, but this time she wasn't even trying to hide it.

"How was your day?" he asked her, trying to engage in a conversation.

"Busy. What about yours?"

Roy sighed and started complaining about the heat, the idiots who worked with him, the boss who was always telling them to work faster, the lousy food they served… The usual. His complaints never changed much. Riza listened to him with only half of her attention, since she had heard it all many times already.

"What's bugging you today?" Roy asked her.

"Nothing."

Roy thought his Lieutenant looked cute when she was mad, but he did want to know what was wrong and do something about it. He made the best lost puppy face he could and stared at her for a few seconds.

"What? You can't tell even your husband?" Roy asked, curious to see her reaction to his adorable expression, one that he used to melt girls' hearts. Back in the army he didn't have any opportunities for this kind of joke. However, he really didn't expect her to be angry.

"Roy, there's a line… and you're crossing it," she said in a low but severe voice.

"Are you angry at me? What did I do?"

"Nothing."

"You're in a foul mood today," he groused.

He wanted to be nice to her, but she wasn't making it easy.

"Yes, I am," she said plainly.

"I work in hell, sweating like mad the whole day, breathing all that dust and getting blisters on my hands and I still manage to be in a good mood in the end of the day. I don't understand what _you_ are so angry about," he said in an offended tone, trying to hold the cough that was coming.

Riza put down the paper. Now that was just too much.

"I don't have the right to be in a bad mood?" she stormed. "You have always complained about work, here and in Amestris, whining about deadlines, ditching work until the last minute, throwing a tantrum whenever you liked, and I never said anything. For once I am in a bad mood, and you think I have no right to be?"

Her voice became progressively louder until she finished. Roy was quite surprised. He didn't expect this kind of outburst from her. She was always so level-headed. It was more than the usual scolding she gave him when he did something wrong. She was simply angry and apparently for no specific reason.

"Maybe I should go. If you're so irritated, I can have dinner at the factory tomorrow," he huffed.

"Of course, that would be so mature of you. Do whatever you want," she said, picking up the paper again.

"Fine. I'm going," Roy said hastily, standing up and walking to the door.

The moment he set foot outside, she closed the door after him with a thud. She wouldn't slam the door because the others would hear it, but she did make more noise than necessary. Roy stared at the house for a while, that feeling of indignation still burning inside him. He could see no reason for her to just bite his head off.

As he waited for the 10 o'clock train to come, he tried to remember everything they had talked about since he had arrived at the house that night. The wind blew at him, messing his hair up. The sky was clear, and the light of the stars competed with the light from the street lamps by the train tracks. He finally heard the train whistle and prepared to jump on it. The trip to the factory would take around one hour. The train was almost there, but he took a few steps back. What a jerk he had been. The locomotive passed by him and he watched the wagons go by as well. The next one would come only around half past midnight. That just wasn't right. So what if she was in a bad mood? Everybody had the right to have an outburst every now and then, and he had only made her angrier.

Riza was now lying on her bed, still awake. She had calmed down and regretted having said those things to Roy. He was an ass some times, but she was used to that already and knew he wouldn't change. There was no reason for her to be so mad at him because of that all of a sudden. And now he was going to stay at that lousy factory, where there was no hot water and the food consisted mostly of undercooked rice, potatoes and low quality tough meat.

_Click_

She heard something hit the window, probably a leaf blown by the wind.

_Click_

The same noise again. She ignored it, but soon there was a louder 'click', too loud to be made by a leaf. She got up to check it and this time she saw what hit the window. A tiny pebble made another 'click' sound when it hit the glass. She looked at the street and saw someone waving at her from the other side of the fence. She was very surprised when she recognized Roy, waving like he wanted her to let him in.

"Did you forget something?" she asked when she opened the back gate for him to come inside.

"No. Look, I'm sorry," he said, scratching the back of his head a bit shyly, ashamed of his behavior earlier. He wasn't used to apologizing and the situation was weird for him, but he felt he had to do it. He owed her a lot.

"Roy, I'm sorry I said those things. I was just tired, I didn't mean it."

"Don't apologize. I wanted to cheer you up, but I was a jerk instead. You were right. I am a pain in the butt sometimes."

Riza found herself wondering if he had a fever or something. Roy Mustang admitting he was wrong and apologizing was the biggest surprise of the day. At least so far. Without warning, he came closer and wrapped his arms around her back, hugging her. That was something he hadn't done in many years and only now Riza realized how much she had missed it.

"Will you forgive me?" his soft voice spoke at her ear.

"You silly. You missed your train just to come here? You're going to be tired tomorrow," Riza answered, gently wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him closer.

Roy couldn't help being slightly surprised that she actually hugged him back. However, maybe there was no reason for him to be. They were so used to all the formalities of working together that they had rarely allowed themselves to enjoy each other's company like they did as adolescents. Feeling a lot more light-hearted now, he tightened his grip around her back and whispered playfully, "you know I won't let go of you until you say you forgive me."

Riza laughed at his joke, thinking that if he were actually serious about that, she might not say it just to prolong that moment.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**July ****11th, 1917**

Ten o'clock in the morning and the soldiers were already tired. They had been up since five o'clock, looking for a journalist who had written a very offensive article against Nymbe's policies on other countries. Havoc followed the three Nymbean soldiers along the dirt road, cursing the day Fuery had disappeared. Havoc didn't even like to think of Kain. Something bad had sure happened to him, and every time he thought of the lad, he couldn't stop himself from thinking of the torture methods soldiers from Nymbe used in their interrogatories

Without the Sergeant, there were only Havoc, Breda and Falman left. The Nymbean authorities had decided to separate them, and now Havoc was under direct orders from a certain Lieutenant Colonel Silas Averay, from Nymbe, who was really determined to find as many people from the wanted lists as possible. It was a stupid mission. They had twelve soldiers, divided into three groups of four, searching all the roads originating from a small town and only to get one man.

Havoc lit another cigarette as their group reached a village where they were supposed to rejoin the other two groups. That was when a few people came out of a small local store, looked at them and got back inside quickly. Despite their effort not to be seen, the Nymbean soldiers didn't miss them.

"Ralph Sherrard!"

They managed to get the guy and pulled him rudely to the middle of the street. A woman, apparently his wife, stayed in front of the store screaming, holding on to her two small children, who cried loudly.

Lieutenant Colonel Averay forced the journalist onto his knees, not facing them, in the middle of the road that went past the village.

Havoc raised the submachine gun he was carrying and aimed at the poor man. The other two soldiers by his side did the same. Those were the orders.

"Daddy!" the two kids cried desperately, as their mother tried to cover their eyes for what was going to be another event of bloodshed. The day that family would remember forever. The proof that their home country had abandoned its people.

"Ready!" Averay yelled. "Aim!"

Loud shots were heard and the children screamed and tried to hide their faces. The blood formed large puddles on the floor. Havoc blew some cigarette smoke in the air and took a step to the side, as the blood had reached his boots. Ralph Sherrard, the journalist, was still on his knees, staring at him, very surprised. Just by Havoc's side there were three dead soldiers from Nymbe, including Lieutenant Colonel Averay.

"Get your family and get the hell out of here. The others must be coming now that they heard the shots," Havoc said coldly.

"C-come with us!" Mr. Sherrard yelled. "They'll kill you."

"I'll hold them here so you guys have a chance to escape. Just go," he insisted, tapping the ashes from his cigarette.

Maybe this way he could atone for the Nymbean orders he had followed before. Many of the people he had helped to arrest in the last few days under those orders had been executed and were now haunting him. They all had the same look on their eyes before being taken, the look of despair of people whose nation had turned its back on them.

"I am most thankful, sir. We will never forget you."

"Yeah, yeah. Just leave now," Jean said, knowing he had probably just signed the warrant for his own death sentence.

Havoc had no intention of killing the other soldiers when they came. Most of them were just kids, about 18 or 19 years old, brainwashed by patriotic speeches and convinced that they were helping their nation by killing those poor civilians. Jean had already shed enough blood for a day, actually enough for a life time.

"What happened here?" another soldier, wearing the green Nymbean uniform, asked when the second group arrived a few minutes later.

"We were attacked. I didn't see who shot us," Havoc said in a bored tone.

The Nymbean soldiers came to inspect the bodies, trying to understand from where the shots might have come. Havoc wasn't injured, but there was a lot of blood on his clothes and bullet shells on the floor. However, it was the Lieutenant's attitude that gave it all away.

"You killed them!" one of the men yelled, as the others grabbed and disarmed him.

"Yeah, well… Maybe I did," he replied with scorn, not even resisting.

His heart was beating fast, and he started to sweat nervously as he faced death another time, but now for the last one. That insanity the country had been reduced to, took not only his friends but also his reasons to fight. A man with no reason to fight had no place in this world.

"Get on your knees, you son of a bitch!"

They forced Lieutenant Havoc to kneel with his hands on his head and stood behind him, pointing their submachine guns at him.

"Any last words?"

"Fuck you all," he scoffed, without dropping the cigarette he still had in his mouth.

Havoc heard the shots, but from a long distance, and nothing hit him. He turned around and saw three dead soldiers on the floor and a fourth one trying to fight back. Another shot hit his head and he fell. If Havoc hadn't been kneeling, he would probably have been shot too.

"What the hell…"

Soldiers in blue uniforms, slightly different from the Amestrian uniform, came from behind the trees.

"We saw what you did," a bald man with a beard said, lowering his gun.

Havoc stared at them, confused for a moment, until he finally understood.

"You're rebels."

"Someone has to fight for the people," another soldier said proudly.

"You'd better leave, before the others find you."

Havoc threw the cigarette butt on the floor and stepped on it to put it out. He wouldn't run to save his life; he wanted to do something better than that. He was no coward.

"What if I also want to fight for the people?" Jean asked them.

They looked at each other and then at the bald bearded man, who seemed to be the leader.

"Then you're welcome to join us," The guy said, reaching out to shake his hand.

Havoc knew that from now on, he wouldn't have a home to which he could go back at the end of the day. Anyway, the word 'home' didn't mean much anymore, once his life had turned upside down. But even so, he wouldn't stop fighting. If not for himself, for other people. It was a way to feel alive, to feel that he hadn't betrayed Mustang, even though the General had apparently abandoned them.

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**A/N: **Yay, we`ve finally got some romance for the Royai fans and now you know what Havoc`s been up to. Everyone`s been asking about Fuery, so I`ll tell you that I haven`t forgotten him. Don`t worry, he`ll be back eventually. Thanks a lot for reading, reviewing, favoriting and alerting! Next Friday, new chapter! See you soon!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** What a big surprise, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist!

I want to say thank you to Hina Kita, LittleMissAngel, StarCatcher1858, ssadropout, womanking, LilDemonWarrior, and mebh for your awesome reviews!

I also want to say thank you to ssadropout for your wonderful work beta-reading this chapter!

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**Chapter 8 – The Deadbeat Father**

**August 18****th****, 1917**

Hope and Harold were usually very talkative, so Riza found it weird when they were so quiet that morning. Nancy seemed nervous about something and had even broken a glass while washing the breakfast dishes, something she rarely did. Aidan spent most of the morning locked in his bedroom, and only came out at about 11 o'clock.

"What's the matter, Aidan?" Riza asked the boy when he walked past her in silence.

Aidan stopped and raised his hazel eyes to look at her shyly. He seemed nervous about something.

"My father is coming today. He's going to stay for a few days," the boy said dismally.

"Aren't you happy to see him?"

Aidan looked down again, uncertain about the answer, "I guess I should be, but he doesn't like me."

"That's not true. Who wouldn't like you? You're a good boy," she told Aidan, hoping to cheer him up.

Aidan was a lovely kid, but he had low self-esteem and problems dealing with the fact that he was an illegitimate child of a drunken hooligan. That was what Victoria used to call her older son, Jasper: a drunken hooligan. Lorraine also had a wide variety of bad words to define him.

"You're nice, you know," Aidan said. "I thought I wouldn't like you when you came. I don't know why. But you're cool. When my father comes… well… forget it."

The boy went to the yard, climbed a tree, and stayed there, reflecting about his own life. He wanted to see his father, but was afraid and ashamed of him at the same time. If he could, he would tell the world that he was Harold and Hope's son. They surely wouldn't mind, but his grandmother, Victoria, would never allow him to do so.

"Poor Aidan," Hope said, watching the boy from a window on the second floor.

"Is his father that bad?" Riza asked.

"Jasper? He's terrible. He doesn't give a damn about Aidan. And let me warn you, Riza. That man has no shame. Stay away from him if you can," she said with a serious tone of voice.

Riza listened to Hope`s advice and thought that she could easily be out of Jasper`s way. There was always a lot of work to be done in the staff area. She put the rug she had cleaned back on the floor, and they finally heard the door bell. Victoria showed up at the corridor, and Hope went downstairs with her to greet the man.

"Hey, Aidan," Jasper said to the boy, but didn`t even bother to ask how he was doing. He entered the house ignoring his son, even though they hadn`t seen each other in months.

The boy didn't expect anything different, so he just stayed behind his grandmother. Riza saw them from the hall when she was going to the kitchen and had to admit Aidan looked a lot like Jasper. Father and son shared the same hair color and round faces.

Riza started chopping the meat Nancy was going to cook, and they were busy in kitchen for a while, until they heard the yelling. Apparently Grandma Lorraine had come to greet Jasper as well.

"Ingrate asshole! Ignorant! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Don't yell at me, crazy old woman!" Jasper replied loudly.

Harold's voice joined the argument, apparently trying to convince Lorraine to go back to her bedroom. Victoria's voice could then be heard, louder than usual, as she told Jasper to be quiet. Soon Aidan burst out of the hall and to the backyard, with tears in his eyes. Nancy asked Riza to watch the food on the stove and went after the boy.

The Lieutenant stayed in the kitchen, feeling sorry for Aidan. He was just a kid, and he knew very well the circumstances of his birth. He knew nobody had wished for him to be born. Even though everyone one in the house loved him, they could never erase the fact that the two people who had brought him into the world couldn't care less for him.

"Hello."

Riza turned around from the stove and saw Jasper, standing lazily at the door.

"Hello," she said politely, before going back to what she was doing.

"You're new. I haven't seen you before."

Riza ignored him, and he walked in, looking in the cupboards for something to eat. He grabbed a slice of cake and sat on a chair. Riza knew he was watching her and that made her very uncomfortable. When she was in the army, men looked at her the same way, but the military uniform and the gun she was always carrying were enough to guarantee no one would bother her. Jasper would be in trouble if he did anything, she thought to herself. She already disliked the man for hurting Aidan the way he did.

Hope walked in the kitchen and stared disapprovingly at Jasper.

"What? I came to grab a bite to eat since none of you moved your asses to bring me something," Jasper said with his mouth still full.

"I'm just impressed that you are actually sitting in the _staff _area," she said, walking to the sink and picking some dirty forks and spoons to wash.

Hope only left when Jasper left for the guest bedroom where he always stayed. Nancy came back once he was gone, complaining that Aidan didn't even want to talk to her. The house was quiet for the rest of the day, since Jasper was resting after the long trip he had made.

… … … … … … … … … ... ... ... … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

The loud horn went off at the factory, announcing the end of the shift for most of the workers. Roy put away the shovel and took a deep breath. That probably wasn't a good idea, since the air was full of particulate matter. He coughed loudly, bending forward a little, trying to control himself. One of the other workers patted on his back twice, before laughing.

"Easy there, man. You sick?"

"I don't know. This dust is terrible," Roy answered.

"You're such a sissy."

"Shut up," Roy said, holding another burst of coughing.

"Seriously, don't think too much about the dust. You get used to it," the man said, before coughing a bit too. Most people there had this chronic dry cough. They said it was because of all the dust they inhaled every day.

Roy rushed to the lavatory to wash his face and arms before he headed Victoria Wilkinson's house, so he wouldn't look so dirty. It was only palliative, he knew, considering that the soot had covered his whole body and he could even taste it in his mouth. As soon as he left the building, he spat on the floor, trying to get rid of the disgusting taste. As he walked along the train tracks, waiting for the train to come, he took off his sleeveless shirt and used it to dry his damp hair a bit.

"Hey, there. Tough day, huh?" a guy's voice came from behind him.

Roy turned around and saw a tall balding man, probably on his early forties. The guy was wearing wrinkled but clean clothes. He didn't look like a factory worker, and Roy couldn't imagine why he wanted to talk to him.

"Yeah. Tough," he said absently.

He continued walking, but the guy caught up with him. Roy ignored the guy for a few minutes, wishing the train would come soon so he could jump on it and leave. The stranger by his side had a shadow of an arrogant smile on his face, which was annoying, if not worrisome.

"I didn't expect such a respectable military man like you to be here, walking shirtless on the street, and spitting on the ground like any illiterate laborer."

Roy halted immediately, feeling his heart skip a beat, and stared at the stranger suspiciously. "Who are you?" he asked sternly.

"1 win, 97 losses and 15 draws. My name is Victor Masheck," the guy said calmly.

Roy frowned at first, and then allowed himself a smile. That man had just mentioned the records from the chess games he had played against Grumman. Victor Masheck was an agent from the Secret Intelligence Force sent by Grumman for sure.

"What's the situation in Amestris?" Roy asked as they kept on walking, like two factory workers chatting about unimportant matters.

"A disgrace, but Grumman is still doing all right, considering his health problems."

"It took you a long time to find me," Roy said, wondering if the agents had been too busy with other problems to come look for him.

"Don't underestimate us. I knew where you were since the beginning. You left me a nice clue in the registers from the camp, Mr. _Hawkeye_," Masheck said, drawing out the name with a smirk. "Are you sleeping together?"

Roy flinched and coughed noisily, before saying 'no' much more loudly than he had intended to. Masheck raised an eyebrow at him incredulously.

"Why not?"

"Lieutenant Hawkeye is just my friend. We aren't even married for real."

"If you had to be married to a woman to sleep with her, you would have to marry a few, don't you think?"

"Are you here to give me information or to ask about my personal life?" Roy snarled.

Masheck shrugged. "There isn't much I can say actually," the agent confessed. "We agents know only information pertinent to our missions. About all the rest… well, I know what everyone there knows. There are lots of rebel groups. Nymbe demanded that Grumman act, but he is not doing anything about the rebels. If you ask me, I think he will try to get them to help us when the time comes. What else… They arrested quite a few alchemists, and they were being kept at a Nymbean prison in our own territory. Nymbe was threatening to execute them if the rebels didn't stop attacking their soldiers. Stupid idea. The rebels organized a massive attack on the prison and released the prisoners."

"How did Nymbe answer to that?"

"The usual. Bombers turned the area where the rebels were supposedly hiding into a hellish blaze."

Roy puckered his lips as a rush of mixed feelings hit him mercilessly. Anger, sorrow, regret… If he were there he might have been able to take down the damn bombers.

"Oh, yeah, one of your men is in the wanted list now," Masheck said as he remembered something he had read on reports.

"What?"

"It seems that he killed some Nymbean soldiers during a mission and ran away."

"Who?" Roy asked exasperatedly.

"You know your men well? Take a guess."

Roy grabbed Masheck by his collar rudely, almost lifting him from the ground.

"You think this is a joke?" he said angrily.

"You have no sense of humor. All right… It was Lieutenant Havoc, but he escaped," Masheck said, not even slightly disturbed.

"Havoc killed Nymbean soldiers? Why?"

"I have no idea. I guess Havoc himself is the only one who can answer that question now, but he vanished into thin air."

They heard the train whistle from far away, and Roy let go of Masheck's collar.

"So, all in all, you two are doing all right?" Masheck asked in his calm voice, although Roy had attacked him just a few seconds ago.

"I guess it could be worse."

"Okay. I'll report to the Fuhrer and say that you two are fine. If I have any new information for you I'll come. Right now your orders are to stay here and don't do anything stupid."

Roy jumped on the train, and Masheck stayed there, waving a quick friendly good-bye before turning around and walking away.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Victoria Wilkinson's house had been quiet during the afternoon, but once Jasper woke up and left his bedroom, Hope had a hard time trying to keep Grandma Lorraine away from him. She was very irritated that day, and Victoria didn't want another scene like the one before. Nancy was cooking dinner with Harold's help, and Riza was doing the cleaning. Hope did try to sweep the house, but she had to be around Lorraine all the time.

Riza had already finished most of her chores, so she went to Victoria's office to dust the furniture. She turned on the light, since the day light coming from the window wasn't enough, and closed the curtains. Steps echoed behind her, and Riza turned around to see Jasper, hands shoved in his pockets, looking around.

"This office hasn't changed in years. My mother is a boring person, isn't she?" he said in a slow voice, like he was intoxicated.

"All I know is that she likes the office clean, so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sweep the floor now," Riza said in a stern voice, walking around Jasper to get the broom that was leaning against the wall.

"I don't understand what a beautiful woman like you is doing in this dump."

"I'm married. I'll appreciate it if you leave now," Riza said, walking to the opposite side of the room and starting to sweep.

"To a factory worker, isn't it? Those guys are animals," Jasper continued, straightening himself and walking towards her, "but as for me… I'm different."

Riza felt a hand on her waist and immediately elbowed him on the ribs, stepping away angrily. Jasper bent forward in pain, complaining loudly.

"Who do you think you are?"

"Who do _you_ think you are?" Riza replied, walking out of the office and making an effort not to knock him out with a good punch. She had learnt how to fight in the military, but a house worker wasn't supposed to know that, and she didn't want to blow her cover.

Harold was coming down the corridor, so he got there just in time to hold Jasper by the door and away from Riza.

"You're our employee! Do you think you can hit me and get away with it?" Jasper yelled before pushing Harold away.

Aidan's father walked towards Riza, but she pointed the broomstick at him, like a sword, and he hesitated, fury burning in his eyes. Victoria showed up at the corridor as well, and when she recognized Jasper's behavior, she almost hit the roof. "I can't believe you're drunk already! Did you smuggle whisky into this house again?"

"I do what I want! And that woman just hit me! You may tolerate this kind of behavior from the staff, but I don't!" Jasper yelled.

"I am sure she had a good reason to hit you! You're just incapable of keeping your dirty hands to yourself," Victoria said, standing right in front of her son.

"You lousy excuse for a man!" they heard Grandma Lorraine yell from her bedroom door.

Jasper turned to Lorraine and yelled something back, while trying to get away from Harold who had grabbed his jacket to prevent him from attacking anyone. Aidan left his bedroom in the middle of the argument and walked towards Jasper, ignoring Victoria's orders to go back.

"I wish you weren't my father! I hate you! Asshole!" the boy shouted as loudly as he could, kicking the floor.

Jasper tried to slap him, but Riza pulled the boy away from him.

"Let's go downstairs, Aidan," she said, taking the boy with her to the kitchen.

Jasper was completely out of control. Aidan couldn't understand why his father kept drinking if the alcohol turned him into an animal every time. They got to the kitchen where Nancy and Hope were waiting, both very worried. Both women asked Riza what Jasper had done, but she preferred not to answer them since Aidan was listening. The boy however, had already seen the scene before.

"He was inappropriate, wasn't he?" Aidan asked. "Grandma says he's a pervert."

"He has no respect for women," Hope agreed.

Riza looked at her a bit annoyed. She thought a boy as young as Aidan should be protected from all that, but he seemed to know a lot more than she would consider appropriate for his age. They could still hear the loud voices upstairs. However, Hope guaranteed that Harold and Victoria could deal with Jasper alone, so they stayed there.

"I'm sorry about my father," Aidan said in an upset voice.

"None of this is your fault, Aidan," Riza told him. The boy hugged her, crying in silence, and Riza hugged him back, hoping to comfort him somehow.

Someone knocked on the door, and Nancy volunteered to open it, since Riza had a nine-year-old boy clinging to her. Roy entered the kitchen, curious about what was going on. There was a little more shouting, and then a door was slammed noisily upstairs.

"What happened?" Roy asked.

"Aidan's father came today," Riza answered.

"My father is an ass," Aidan said between low sobs.

"Don't talk like that, Aidan," Riza said patiently.

They heard people coming down the stairs, and Harold showed up at the hall, muttering curse words under his breath. A few seconds later, Jasper followed him, with his suitcase in hand.

"Now you go get a cab and carry my bag, you old fart! I'm leaving this place!"

"Don't talk to Harold like that!" Aidan yelled.

Jasper strode towards the kitchen aggressively, and Aidan hid behind Riza, frightened this time. But Jasper couldn't get to the boy, because Roy took a couple of steps and stopped at the doorway, not allowing the man to come in.

"Who are you and what the hell are you doing here?" Jasper asked.

"If you think I'll let you touch that kid, you're seriously mistaken," Roy answered in a challenging voice.

Victoria came as well, yelling that this would be the last time she would let Jasper in her house.

"You said you had stopped drinking, you rascal!" she said to her son.

"Don't you have any authority over your staff?" Jasper barked. "You let a dirty factory worker inside the house, you hire a bitch with an attitude to work for you, and…"

"Wait a minute."

They all stopped to look at Roy. He had spoken in a low but firm voice, and now had his eyes on Jasper. "I hope you're not talking about my wife."

"You have a problem with that?" Jasper said, getting closer to Roy, his face about two inches from Roy's in a challenging way.

"Mrs. Wilkinson, I can get him out of the house in no time if you want," Roy said calmly.

"What did you say, you punk?" Jasper yelled.

Roy didn't even flinch. He wouldn't raise his voice nor would he become an animal like Jasper. All he needed was an order now. Harold watched the scene from the other side of the room, glad that there was another man to take care of the situation.

"I'd be most thankful if you could do that," Victoria answered bitterly.

"Come, Aidan," Riza said, trying to take the boy away so he wouldn't watch it.

"You dare touch me and see what happens," Jasper turned to Roy again.

"If you could keep your hands to yourself and let Riza alone, none of this would have happened, idiot! I hate you!" Aidan shouted before Riza had the time to close the door.

Roy looked at the kid and then at Jasper. Riza managed to close the kitchen door just before Roy grabbed Jasper by his collar. Harold held the backdoor open while the two men wrestled in the middle of the hall. If Jasper weren't drunk, he would know that picking a fight with a guy who did heavy work at a factory wasn't a good idea. He punched Roy on the stomach, but the punch he got on his face almost knocked him unconscious. Roy dragged him violently towards the door, but the man still managed to grab a lamp that was nearby.

Harold caught his breath nervously as Roy let go of Jasper for a second, once the lamp hit his head and shattered.

"You can't even fight like a man, can you?" Roy asked with disdain, wiping some blood that was streaming down his face.

Roy pulled the man down and hit his upper abdomen with his knee. Jasper fell to the floor, gasping for air. Harold was very happy to close the door once Roy pushed Jasper outside and tossed his suitcase on him.

"Roy, you're bleeding!" Riza said worriedly when he walked into the kitchen, followed by Harold and Victoria.

"It's nothing," he said with a smile. "Are you all right? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"I'm fine. Let me see that."

Roy sat down so Riza could clean the cut on his forehead while Victoria apologized for her son's horrible behavior. Aidan had been holding on to Hope tightly, and his eyes met Roy's for the first time since he had arrived from the factory.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, kid," Roy said.

Aidan took a few steps towards Roy and punched the General's arm with his small hand, looking down. Roy didn't move from his chair. Victoria looked at Aidan disapprovingly.

"I understand you're angry, Aidan, but Mr. Hawkeye didn't do anything wrong," she said.

The boy punched Roy's arm again and again, repeatedly, in frustration. Hope was going to stop him, but Roy shook his head to her. Aidan soon got tired and stopped, trying to catch his breath.

"Why aren't you angry at me?" the boy asked Roy.

"Because none of this was your fault. I know you'll be a much better man than your father," the man explained to him.

Aidan looked at Roy surprised, and then his anger and frustration started to fade away slowly. He nodded and looked down at his own shoes.

"Now, don't look down, Aidan," Roy said. "A man has to face his problems with his head up. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

Aidan bit his lip, before raising his head and smiling in a shy manner. "You're right," the little boy agreed.

Riza had to smile at Roy's confusion when Aidan hugged him. The boy was ashamed of his father and always afraid that people thought he would be like him. Roy didn't know, but he had chosen the exact right words to make him feel better.

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**A/N: **Here you go, another chapter! I personally like Masheck, but Jasper was written for everyone to hate him. If you hated him, I'm happy. LOL! Thanks a lot for reading, don't forget to leave a review, and I see you again soon!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but for a job that`s trying to kill me!

I want to say thanks to LilDemonWarrior, KageNoNeko, StarCatcher1858, Hina Kita, womanking and ssadropout for their awesome reviews!

I also want to say a big thank you to ssadropout for beta-reading this chapter!

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**Chapter 9**** – Marriage Problems**

**September 24****th****, 1917**

Two people in ordinary civilian clothes wouldn't call anyone's attention in the middle of a busy street at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. That was the exact reason why the two men had chosen to meet on that Sunday and at that specific place. They were coming from different directions when they met, and anyone who saw them would think they had just bumped into each other by coincidence. They talked in an apparently informal way, despite keeping their voices down so no one would hear them.

"So, do you know your orders already?" Breda asked, walking by Falman's side as they crossed the street.

"Yes, and what about you?"

"I've been given my orders too."

"Are you going to disappear?" Falman asked in a concerned voice.

"No. I have to stay. And you?"

"I'll be disappearing," the older man answered, slightly annoyed. He didn't like the drama his disappearance would involve.

"You're lucky. I'd rather disappear than stay."

They got to the other block, said good-bye friendly and loudly, and went in opposite directions. This was the last time they'd see each other for a long time.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**September 26****th****, 1917**

Raindrops kept falling on the roof of the old warehouse in the countryside. It was dark already, and the clouds covered the sky not allowing the moon to show itself for the big group hiding in the night. A man was sitting by the door carrying a rifle and watching the endless darkness. Inside the warehouse there were lots of people. Some were young, some were a bit older, but all of them had served the country before and believed themselves to still be serving the country's best interest.

"Did you want to read the news?" a guy with bandages covering most of his left arm asked another one, who had been sitting on a crate, smoking calmly for the last few minutes.

"Yup. Thanks," Havoc said, taking the newspaper the other held to him.

He read the front page, not surprised at the news. Nymbe had forced the Fuhrer to sign another treaty, one about taxes this time. There was news about the reconstruction of bombarded buildings in the west, some news about executions, and so on. Nothing different. Havoc turned to a page that he read hesitatingly every day, the obituaries. It contained the names of Amestrian soldiers and civilians and since lots of people had already lost their lives, he always read it, hoping that he wouldn't find any names he was familiar with. That day, however, he wasn't so lucky.

"Oh, no… No…" he mumbled, his hands shaking as he held the paper, accidentally tearing part of the left page.

"What is it?" a soldier who was sitting near him asked.

"Fuck!" Havoc yelled this time, tossing the newspaper on the floor impetuously. "Fuck! If that idiot had stayed, we could fight together, and shit like this wouldn't happen!"

"Who you're talkin' about?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Found someone you know in the obituary?"

"Yeah…" Havoc moaned, lighting another cigarette.

The small black letters were still imprinted on his mind, mocking him. He could see the newspaper page clearly as he had it in front of his eyes right now. He grabbed the paper from the floor again slowly, determined to check if his mind hadn't played a trick on him. However, he knew what he had read. He sank back on the crate he had been sitting, despair creeping up on him.

_Vato Fal__man_

The name of his comrade was there, printed in the same ink as all the other names. He was just one more in the statistics. His rank wasn't even written in the obituary. Havoc closed the paper and put it aside, resting his head on his left hand.

"First Fuery, now Falman. Damn it, Mustang… You should have stayed, you coward."

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**November ****20****th****, 1917**

It was hard to believe that more than six months had now passed, since Roy and Riza had left the country, but the situation in Amestris hadn't changed much. Roy had spotted Victor Masheck, the informant, on the street another time, but the man didn't stop to talk to him. Being kept in the dark but knowing that he was an important part of the plan was driving Roy insane already. The Brigadier General was now waiting for the train to come so he could go have dinner with Riza and the rest of Victoria`s staff. Despite the heavy rain, Roy looked around, hoping to see Masheck again. He wanted new information desperately. Anything that could get him out of that factory would be great, Roy thought, shivering because of the cold weather.

"I can't believe you came here in this rain!" Riza said when she opened the door and found Roy, completely soaked and coughing like mad.

Roy tried to talk, but only managed to say a couple of words before he coughed loudly again. Riza decided that the talk could wait and rushed him to the bathroom so he could take a warm bath. She went upstairs to finish cleaning the carpet and met Hope, who was already taking care of it.

"It's all right, I can finish this. Thank you," Riza told the chubby woman.

"Oh no, dear. Go spend some time with your husband. I got this," she said, not willing to stop what she was doing.

"He's taking a bath now."

"Why don't you join him?" Hope said like it was the most obvious thing to do.

Riza suppressed a frustrated sigh. Hope was always trying to get them together. She was discreet at first, but when she thought her approach wasn't working, Hope abandoned discretion completely. About two weeks ago even Roy had noticed Hope's exaggerated concern, and he was now trying to avoid her in order to escape any too embarrassing situations. Pretending to be married had been easy at the camp, but in Victoria`s house, it was becoming a challenge.

"He's tired," Riza told Hope.

"Then go cheer him up…" Hope replied with devilment in her eyes, before she laughed a bit.

Roy got out of the bathroom, enjoying the sensation of being both clean and dry. He tried to listen for anyone in the dark corridor, but luckily Hope wasn't there. She had been all smirks and jokes lately, and that was starting to annoy him. He was happy that he could get away from her for a while, but he didn't expect Harold to have joined the game. The old man greeted him in the hall and dragged him back into the corridor, where they could talk without anyone eavesdropping.

"Is everything all right between you and Riza?" the gardener asked, sounding honestly concerned about their relationship.

"Not you too, Harold," Roy complained.

After such a long time they couldn't tell them that they weren't really married, especially because it would ruin their disguise. Roy tried to be patient, wondering if coughing loudly again could save him from the awkward conversation.

"I mean… You get along fine and all, but I don't see much affection between the two of you. Maybe you need some more time alone?"

"No, we're fine. Don't worry."

"Because if you let your relationship go cold after only two years…"

"Seriously Harold…"

"If you don't have the hots for each other anymore, maybe all you need is a little change, be creative… you know."

"We have _all_ the hots we need. We are doing just fine."

Roy walked away from the man, ignoring a last question, one that was even more intrusive than the others. He walked into the kitchen to greet Riza and noticed that Nancy wasn't there. Nancy wasn't in the kitchen, although there was food cooking in the stove? That had to be a conspiracy.

"Did you see that Harold joined the crusade?" Roy asked his Lieutenant in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"And Nancy too, apparently," Riza added.

"Hope must have tied her up somewhere."

They both stepped away from each other and changed the topic for something more ordinary when Nancy came back, followed by Hope. Hope went to the laundry room, but they knew she was paying attention to their conversation. Roy leaned against the wall, thinking. He watched Riza wash the dishes as he considered a new idea that had occurred to him and the possible consequences of it. Maybe he should wait for Hope or Harold to come, otherwise there would be no point in doing it. He looked at Hope through the open door and saw she was busy with the dirty clothes.

Roy caught himself hoping that the woman would come soon. Damn it, what was taking her so long? When Hope finally walked back into the kitchen, Roy walked towards an unsuspecting Riza and hugged her from behind tenderly. Riza stopped what she was doing and looked back at him, surprised. Roy stayed like that for a second, now feeling lost. He hadn't planned the next move, and she was now staring at him, her face about an inch away from his, as asking what the hell he was doing. He could give her a kiss on the cheek, he thought. She shouldn't be angry because of a kiss on the cheek. However, before he had the time to do anything, Roy felt his throat itching and let go of Riza to cough.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying to catch his breath before he had another violent burst of cough.

"Let me get you some hot tea," Riza offered after a few seconds watching him struggle to stop coughing and hacking.

Suddenly her mind had become a little slow. The way Roy had hugged her was unexpected, but apart from the initial shock, the warmth of his body and his arms around her waist didn't feel weird like they should. Riza poured some hot tea in a cup and sat down across from him, still thinking about the gentle touch of his hands and his face just beside hers. Roy drank the tea and took a deep breath, relieved that he had finally managed to stop coughing. He could have had a cough attack when Harold was cornering him before, but no! He had to have it when he was hugging Riza. It had taken him years to finally make a move on her and…

Roy shook his head a bit, trying to focus. He hadn't made a move. He had just played his part as the husband, trying to get Hope and Harold to stop bothering them about romance. He had to do something, after all. Or maybe he just _wanted_ to do something?

"_Who am I kidding?_" he thought, taking another sip of tea.

He was really trying to fool himself.

"You know, Doctor Gummer is coming tonight to give Lorraine a check-up. We could ask him to examine you," Hope suggested.

"I can't afford a private physician," Roy replied, placing the empty cup on the table.

"Nah, he wouldn't charge you just to have a look at you," Harold said, popping into the kitchen.

"Let him examine you," Riza said too, and Roy agreed, although he suspected that the doctor wouldn't be able to do much for him.

It was probably all the dust in the factory that had caused that. Most of the people who worked with him also coughed all the time, though some of them had mentioned that Roy had started to have problems too soon.

Doctor Gummer had been taking care of the family for years. His white hair and wrinkled face wouldn't let him lie about his age, but he was satisfied with his health. He was still pretty spry for his age, and he always boasted about his perfect eyesight and hearing. He examined Lorraine and was very happy to say that she was doing fine. He offered to check on Aidan's scratched knees from a fall days before, and when Victoria asked if he could examine her employee's husband, the man smiled right away. He loved coming to the Wilkinson house. Those visits always gave him the opportunity to ask Victoria about the novels she wrote and maybe even borrow a few books.

"Okay, breathe in slowly."

Roy did as he was told, while the doctor held a stethoscope against his back. Riza was the only one there with them in the fancy front hall, sitting on the couch, legs crossed, looking in another direction.

"Breathe out now. Slowly. Again, please."

The doctor hung the stethoscope around his neck and proceeded with the rest of physical examination, asking questions.

"Where do you work?"

"At the steel mill."

"How long have you been working there?"

"About half a year."

"Did you work in factories before that?"

"No."

"Huh," Gummer mumbled, writing something down on his notebook. "It looks like you have what we call occupational lung disease. It's very common amongst factory workers."

"Is it bad?" Riza asked this time, taking part in the conversation for the first time.

"It's not that severe yet, but you developed it a bit too fast, Mr. Hawkeye."

Gummer stared at his notes, holding the pen like he wanted to write something, but wasn't sure what. He finally put the notebook down and turned to the patient again.

"It's just that I'd expect this bad cough and noisy breathing from someone who's worked in factories for years, not just six months."

"And what is causing this?" Riza asked again worriedly.

"There's a lot of particulate matter in the air in these factories. You could use a piece of cloth to cover your face if you wanted, but these particles are so small that it wouldn't help much."

"I wouldn't be able to breathe if I covered my nose," Roy added in a hoarse voice.

"Have you ever… worked with anything that involved mineral processing? Maybe in a mine? Maybe with fire? Burning of wood or in anywhere with a lot of dust?"

"Fire," Roy answered in dismay, as he now remembered how the explosions he caused with his flame alchemy used to raise a lot of dust in the air during the Ishbal war.

He used to cough a lot at that time, especially after breathing the smoke from his own attacks. Back then he wasn't worried. He was a young and healthy soldier who could control fire to protect his comrades from the enemy, and he had a brilliant career in the army ahead of him.

"I see. That would explain why you developed this respiratory problem so quickly. I'm afraid you'll have to find another job."

"I've tried," Roy answered in a low voice, hoping that he would be able to finish without hacking again. "I've tried to convince my boss to put me to work in some other part of the factory, but he said he couldn't. I skipped work to try to find a job somewhere else, but I didn't get anything. Besides, who would want to hire a man with a bad cough like mine? People look at me like I have tuberculosis or some other contagious disease," Roy confessed at once, avoiding Riza's surprised look.

He hadn't told her any of that, but he was so damn tired he just wanted to get it all off his chest. Although he had indeed spent a few days looking for another job, he hadn`t been successful.

"Well, you do have a bigger chance of having tuberculosis with that inflammation. If it becomes chronic, there won't be much to do about it. It can get very bad."

"Can we do anything about it now?" Riza asked Dr. Gummer, as Roy just nodded in agreement and didn't say another word.

"An antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory and some rest. Ideally, I'd ask you not to work with anything that involved dust. I want you to stay away from that factory for _at least_ two weeks."

"Two weeks?"

"And I understand that you sleep there? The air in the whole factory is filled with particulate matter. I'll talk to Mrs. Wilkinson, and I'm sure she won't mind letting you stay for a couple of weeks. Let me just write you a prescription for your medication."

Gummer got his prescription pad, wrote down everything with amazing speed, and went upstairs to talk to Victoria. Roy put on his shirt again, thinking that if he stayed in the house for two weeks, Hope and Harold would drive both him and Riza completely crazy. However, he didn't seem to have much choice in the matter.

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**A/N: **Hello everyone! I`m kind in a shock today so I`ll appreciate some reviews as consolation, LOL! I asked my boss to reduce my working hours this semester because I need to study and she gave me more hours instead. Basically, I`m screwed. I`ll keep posting somehow, so don`t worry. Thanks a lot to everybody who`s reading, reviewing, favoriting and alerting! See you next Friday!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. You don't either, XP. LOL!

I want to say thanks to KageNoNeko, Fabi Washu, LilDemonWarrior, ssadropout, StarCatcher1858, Toushirou-chan, Hina Kita and Cantata Blue for your great reviews! And also for your support regarding my boss' attempt at killing me, you're the best!

I also want to say a big thank you to my wonderful beta-reader, ssadropout!

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**Chapter 10**** – Old Friends Meet**

**November 21****st****, 1917**

When Roy opened his eyes, it was still dark in the bedroom. He pulled his covers closer to his face, wondering about the time. At the factory he used to wake up at five o`clock in the morning, but he knew Riza didn't get up until six. An extra hour to sleep was most welcomed. He looked up at the bed by his side. Riza wanted him to take the bed so he wouldn't be cold during the night, but there was no way he was going to let her sleep on the floor and take her bed for himself. And sharing a single bed was out of the question.

The alarm clock went off a few minutes later, so they both got up.

"Didn't you feel cold during the night?" Riza asked Roy, as he walked around the bedroom in his boxers and T-shirt, collecting his blankets and pillow from the floor.

"No, don't worry," he said, putting everything on the bed and looking for his clothes.

"Are you sure?" she still insisted, as he got dressed.

"I am. Thanks for your concern," Roy said, finally leaving the bedroom so Riza could get changed.

They met in the kitchen, and as soon as they sat down to have breakfast, Harold sat by Roy`s side with a mischievous smile on his face. Roy and Riza could both anticipate some dirty joke.

"So, you finally had an entire night for yourselves," Harold said.

"Yup," Roy answered with a smile.

"That's good, because you should have kids while you're still young," Hope joined their conversation.

Hope sat down across from them, and then Nancy also came. With Roy staying in the house, both soldiers knew their fake marriage would be the topic of the conversation for days.

"You want kids, right?" Hope inquired them.

After a moment of silence, Roy decided to invent something just to end the conversation. He shrugged and said in a tone of fake disappointment, "We just haven't been lucky, yet."

"That's because you don't have enough sex, you dummy," Harold complained loudly, making Roy regret having bothered to say something. "You know what? The doctor said either me or Hope, maybe both of us, can't have children. But we tried all kinds of things, so I'll give you a few tips later, Roy," Harold offered happily, slapping his hand on the table and laughing.

They finished breakfast, and Roy said he would go back to the factory just to get the suitcase he had left there. Riza followed him to the door, but Roy turned around to talk to her before he left.

"When I come back, please, don't even dream of leaving me alone with Harold," he pleaded.

"I'll see what I can do," Riza replied with a sigh, "but our disguise will be compromised if we keep acting so awkward."

"I know. We'll figure it out," Roy said.

She closed the door after him and went back to the kitchen. The others were still there, looking at her with curiosity.

"Do you think Roy forgot what day is today?" Hope asked Riza, when she joined them.

"He probably forgot it."

Riza wouldn't be surprised. Roy was very forgetful and terrible with dates. At least she hadn't forgotten it.

"What did you get for him?" Nancy asked, drinking the rest of her coffee.

"A flat cap."

"That's nice. We got him a little something as well," Hope said, speaking for the three of them. "Perhaps you could take a look at it, I don't know if it won't be too big for him."

Hope went to her bedroom and came back with a wool sweater they had bought from a store nearby. Riza took a look at it and concluded it should fit him perfectly. She actually knew the size of his clothes, just like she knew lots of other things about him. He probably knew more about her than she would expect too, she thought.

The moment Roy came back from the factory, Harold met him in the hall and barely gave him enough time to take his suitcase to the bedroom. The Brigadier General gulped, thinking that Harold would have some weird advice about sex and having kids, but the gardener dragged Roy back to the kitchen instead.

"Don't you remember what day is today?" Harold asked Roy and laughed at the younger man's puzzled expression when they finally joined the women.

"It's… wait a minute…" Roy started to say as it finally dawned on him, "it's my birthday, isn't it?" he asked surprised, before coughing a little.

They all laughed at him, but Roy just smiled a bit sheepishly. He had totally forgotten about his own birthday, so busy he had been. And now as he opened the two gifts he had gotten, he thought of how such an unimportant thing could become a memory to cherish. He unwrapped the flat cap, turned it on his hands to examine it, and placed it on his head.

"How do I look?" he asked Riza.

"Handsome," she had to admit.

Roy stood up and went to the hall to look at himself on the mirror. The flat cap did make him look more stylish, and Riza thought that he looked handsome. That was enough for him to love the gift.

"That's a cool hat," Aidan said, walking into the hall with a still sleepy face.

"What if I turn it like this?" Roy joked, turning the cap on his head to the side and making the boy laugh.

"Don't be silly," Riza said, walking towards him and straightening the hat again.

She brushed his hair away from his face and looked at him. Roy smiled quietly at her. Not long ago he had realized that the fake marriage arrangement had managed to bring back feelings he had believed to be under control. And he had actually thought he could easily pretend to be her husband.

"Well, it's time to eat! Nancy baked a cake for us!" Hope announced, and they went back to the kitchen, Aidan feeling very happy to join them.

They didn't have much time though, as they still had to clean the house. Roy decided to do his laundry, since he would now finally have the time, but was chased out of the laundry room by Hope and Riza. They both thought that he shouldn't be working with water as he was sick. Roy didn't exactly agree, but decided not to argue. He could help with the cleaning or maybe help Harold in the yard. Riza went to sweep the house as usual, but Hope soon came to take the broom from her.

"It's your husband's birthday," Hope said in a low voice. "Go spend some time with him."

"I'll just finish here."

"Riza, you two make a lovely couple, but you have to give him more attention."

"I give him all the attention he needs," Riza complained.

"You know what _kind _of attention I'm talking about. Seriously, I'm worried about you two. Is there something wrong with your marriage?"

"No, nothing is wrong."

Hope dragged her back to the kitchen when Roy came into the hall. The woman really wasn't willing to give up yet.

"When was the last time you had sex?" she asked, determined to solve the matter at any cost.

Riza felt that she was being too intrusive already, but thought that this kind of conversation probably wasn't out of the ordinary for married women. She had heard a few friends who were married talking about these things like they didn't mind it and thought it would be better to just pretend she didn't mind it either.

"Yesterday, like Roy said," the Lieutenant lied.

"Really?" Hope asked doubtfully.

"Really, it was great," she added, to sound more convincing.

Riza finally managed to escape from her concerned friend and went back to the hall, looking for Roy. She found him talking to Harold, or actually, trying to end a conversation he didn't seem to be comfortable with. Harold stopped talking when he saw Riza coming and walked past them to go outside, winking at Roy.

"Harold is driving me crazy," Roy complained to Riza with a worried tone of voice.

"Why does it bother you so much?" Riza asked.

"Easy for you to say. He doesn`t talk about that crazy stuff when you're around," Roy said. "But that's not the problem. He's getting suspicious of us. Yesterday… he asked me if we're really married."

"Did he?" Riza asked worriedly. "And what did you say?"

"That we _are_ married, we just like being discreet and all. But we have to be careful. If they find out we're lying, they'll start wondering _why_ we're doing so."

Riza sighed and told Roy about Hope's insisting inquiries. Their disguise didn't seem to be very good after all.

"We need to get our stories straight. Anything you tell her, you have to tell me so I tell Harold the same thing," Roy said.

"If he asks anything about sex, we had sex yesterday," Riza said, hoping to sound indifferent.

"Right," Roy said, suppressing any thoughts about the topic with all his strength. "Well, I think I'll help Harold in the yard."

Riza agreed and decided that she, too, would go back to work, whether Hope complained about it or not. There was just too much to be done around the house.

"Oh, damn. Hope is watching us from the kitchen," Roy whispered. "Let's try to be a little more convincing in our acting."

"What exactly do you have in mind?" Riza asked, now cursing the fake marriage.

Their professional relationship was being tested all the time. It would be easier to be just married for real. Roy shot her a hesitating glance, and the Lieutenant could see he wasn't enjoying the situation either.

"Just don't look spooked, okay?" he whispered.

Riza neither agreed nor disagreed. She just searched Roy's face for any sign of what the hell he didn't want her to be spooked about. All he did, though, was stare at her like he desperately needed an answer. Hope walked out of the kitchen again and short of an answer, Roy smiled at Riza, placing both hands on his hips theatrically.

"Well, I guess working in the yard and getting some fresh air would do me good," he said now in a normal tone, loud enough for the chubby woman to hear.

Riza thought that he would go outside and that would be it. She only understood what Roy wanted to do when he came closer and placed a quick kiss on her lips. It was as quick as a kiss could be. He turned around and went to the yard, and Riza had to focus on not looking surprised. Hope had watched the scene, but such a quick display of affection wouldn't convince her that everything was all right.

Roy went after Harold, feeling upset. He didn't want things to be like that. He had tasted her lips for only a second, and now he could barely think about anything else. She was sure mad at him, since that entire marriage thing had been his idea. How could he have thought that pretending to be married and keeping their professionalism would be easy?

Inside the house, Riza had recovered the broom and was sweeping the dining room, but not paying much attention to what she was doing. She had already swept the same spot three times and hadn't even noticed. Why did things have to be that way? Roy was everything to her, and that kiss was only good to remind her of what she couldn't have. She wanted to stay by his side and help him achieve his goals, but her personal feelings were definitely getting on the way. If she had known Roy's idea would cause her this much trouble, she would never have agreed to it. She would have to talk to Roy. They obviously needed a plan to protect their disguise, a real one. Not just fake displays of affection out of the blue.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ... … … … …

**November 24****th****, 1917**

The streets in Kratovy were very confusing, but luckily, Edward was already used to finding his way in places he didn't know. He had always traveled a lot to all kinds of places. His new boss, an Aerugon farmer, had been most delighted to know he didn't mind spending hours in a train. Alphonse and Winry, knowing that Edward couldn't get back to their home country, had fled Amestris and found him in Creta. From there they had run to seek protection in Aerugo, where both Ed and Al wouldn't be chased by the military police.

In his new job Edward would often go to the city to close deals with the local sellers. Today he had to do some research and find out which company was willing to pay the best price for his boss' wheat. He really didn't expect to meet anyone he knew there, but once he finished his task and was just looking for a pub to get a cup of coffee, he saw someone he hadn't seen in a long time.

The man was wearing shabby clothes and a flat cap, but it was definitely him.

"Mustang!" Edward yelled, waving at him.

Roy jumped and looked around to see who had called him. When he spotted the blond man, he started gesturing frantically for him to be quiet. Edward gulped, thinking that he had been really reckless to call the Brigadier General in the middle of the street like that. After all, if Mustang was there in Aerugo, he had to be hiding just like him.

"Fullmetal, don't call me that here!" Roy hissed.

"Don't call me Fullmetal, idiot!" Edward hissed back.

They both stared angrily at each other, before they started again.

"What are you doing here, Edward?"

"I'm on business for my boss. What about you… How should I call you?"

"Roy is fine. I'm just buying some things for Riza's boss."

Roy turned to the side and coughed loudly. The cold wind blew at them, and they both decided that they should go some place warm to talk. The alchemists entered a pub and sat at a table in the corner. Edward asked the waitress for a cup of coffee, but Roy didn't ask for anything. He had spent most of his money on the damn antibiotics he had to take.

"Where are you working?" Roy asked, crossing his arms in an attempt to protect himself from the cold wind blowing through an open window near them.

"Alphonse, Winry and I are working in a farm," Edward explained, taking a sip of hot coffee and standing up to close the window. His jacket wasn't very warm, and the cold weather was bothering him too.

"Is it far from here?"

"It's a few hours away from here by train. It's not a bad job. So, Hawkeye is with you?" Ed asked, hoping for an affirmative answer.

"Yes, she works in a house near here. I work at the steel mill," Roy said, coughing again. He could feel a more violent burst of coughing coming at any minute.

Edward exhaled noisily, now thinking about Hawkeye's situation.

"I'm sorry, can I call her Hawkeye, or has she changed her name too?"

"No, she's using her name."

"And you? You use only your first name?"

"I'm using her surname," Roy admitted.

"Hers?" Edward asked, curious and confused at the same time.

The stress of the last few days must had been too much, Roy thought, as he reached the point of telling Edward about their little arrangement. Roy thought that the lad would actually compliment him for his idea or just react to it with indifference, as it didn't mean anything. It shouldn't mean anything.

"Are you out of your mind?" Edward huffed, placing his cup back on the table.

"What's the problem? She agreed."

"She might have agreed, but are you sure she doesn't mind?"

"Why would she? It's like an undercover operation, nothing we haven't done before," Roy said, although he was trying to convince himself more than convince Edward.

"This is different. And I know you, I bet you didn't miss the opportunity to flirt with her and say it's all part of the disguise," Edward said accusingly. "Has it crossed your mind that you might hurt her by doing so?"

Roy puckered his lips giving the idea some thought, but soon shook his head like he didn't agree with the lad. Edward raised an eyebrow at him and then shrugged. They were quiet for a few moments, but Roy was now staring at the sugar holder, considering the possibility. However, Edward didn't want to change the topic yet.

"Have you ever thought that she might want the real thing?" the blond man continued.

Roy raised his eyes again. It wasn't the first time he was questioned about his relationship with Lieutenant Hawkeye, and he was ready to explain it to Edward as he had explained it to others.

"You don't understand. We've known each other since we were teenagers," Roy said. After all, he was the one who was tortured by having to keep his feelings under control, not her. She was much more professional than he was. "We're like you and that childhood friend of yours, Winry, right?" Roy continued, happy that there was someone he could use as a comparison to make himself understood.

"Yeah, Winry. Of course, you are just like us," Ed replied in a slightly scornful tone. "By the way, Winry and I got married."

"What?"

"Yeah."

The cough came back, and Roy turned to the side, bending forward in great effort to control himself. Edward watched the older man almost disappear behind the wooden table.

"Are you all right?"

If Roy hadn't been so busy hacking, he would have noticed the honest concern in Ed's question. The lad opened his wallet and counted his money, while the Brigadier General continued coughing loudly. Edward sighed and called the waitress again. He wanted to get the train back home in the afternoon, but if he waited and got the evening train, which was cheaper, he should have enough money to pay for a cup of tea.

"I don't have much money here with me," Roy managed to say.

"My treat, don't worry," Edward replied in a friendly manner.

The girl placed the cup of hot tea on the table, and Roy searched his pocket for the last of his change. He put the coins on the table, but Edward pushed them towards him again.

"I said it's my treat. I owe you money anyway."

"If I recall, you would pay me back when I accomplished my goals."

"Forget it. My treat. I'm not taking your money," Edward insisted. "And damn it, Roy… You sound like an old asthmatic dog. Are you sick?"

Roy shut his eyes and slowly opened them again, before nodding in silence. He finally got the cup of the tea and drank some before the cough prevented him from keeping a decent conversation.

"What do you have?"

"A respiratory problem because of the dust in the factory," Roy explained. "It's not contagious."

"That's not what I'm worried about. Have you seen a doctor?"

"Yes, I'm taking medication."

"Good."

"You said you and Winry got married?" Roy asked.

Edward confirmed with a smile, and Roy congratulated him, pleased to hear that at least the lad was happy about his love life. They chatted for a few more minutes, and then Roy said he had to go.

"Thanks for the tea," Roy managed to say, although he still had the impression that Edward had bought it for him out of pity, and that really annoyed him.

"No problem. Say hi to Riza for me," Edward said, "and think about what I said. She's done a lot for you. You hurt her, and I'll beat the crap out of you."

"Hey, I may be coughing like an asthmatic dog, but I can still fight," Roy joked, relieved that Edward was now talking to him in the offensive way he used to talk before.

"And I still have an automail leg to kick your ass."

"Right… You should try. I'd have fun blowing it up."

They both laughed and left in different directions. Although Edward would now sit in a bench at the train station and relax while waiting for the evening train, Roy would be tormented by his own thoughts for the rest of the day. Edward might have a point. What if he had actually hurt her with all his jokes?

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**A/N: **Hello everybody! Hooray for Edward showing up again! It feels good to bring him back into the story. I hope you enjoyed reading it. So, once again, I ask you to leave a review if you have the time! Thanks a lot for reading! I see you again next Friday!


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **FMA belongs to the cow. I only borrow the characters, because the voices told me to do so.

I want to say thank you to LittleMissAngel, Cantata Blue, Aieika, mebh, Silence Is Not Golden, Toushirou-chan, ssadropout, Hina Kita, KageNoNeko, StarCatcher1858 and two reviewers who didn't leave a name. You're awesome guys!

I also want to say a big thank you to my beta-reader, ssadropout, and my friend Poly-chan who suggested a couple of things for this chapter when I was writing it.

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**Chapter 11 – Keep Me Going**

**November 24****th****, 1917**

It was the end of the afternoon when Roy entered the house, being welcomed by the familiar warmth of a heated home in the chilly fall days. He went to Victoria's office, to give her the things she had asked him to buy, and then back downstairs to help with the housework. Victoria had bought logs for the fireplace, and those had been delivered in the morning. Harold was carrying them from the yard to the shed, but the old man had some difficulties carrying heavy objects, so Roy rushed to help him.

"Oh my… It's getting dark already," Harold said, eyebrows creased with worry as he didn't want to leave the wood outside during the night, but there was no light in the shed and the stairs could be dangerous in the dark.

Roy went inside the shed carrying logs in a hurry, guided by the light coming through the open door. Together the two men managed to get everything inside before the last beams of light disappeared. Roy climbed the stairs for the last time and closed the door, securing all the wood indoors.

"You okay?"

Roy hadn't even noticed how noisily he was breathing until Harold asked.

"Yes, I'm all right," he said quickly, before breathing in deeply and letting the air out. Somehow, Roy felt the air was trapped inside his chest. He made an effort to expel the air and then breathed in again, almost normally. When he exhaled the air, he could hear a wheezing sound.

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Roy said, turning around and walking away from Harold.

It wasn't the first time he got some trouble breathing after heavy exercise. Roy entered the house and headed to the bathroom. He washed his face and rested, waiting for his breathing to go back to normal again. Somebody knocked on the door, and he got out.

"Are you feeling all right?" Riza asked him, when they met in the corridor.

"Yes, I'll just… rest a moment, okay?" he said with a pause, trying to sound normal.

Maybe he wasn't good at pretending, or maybe Riza just knew when he wasn't telling the truth. Anyway, Roy wasn't surprised when she followed him into their bedroom.

"What happened?" she asked.

Roy's noisy breathing could now be heard clearly in the silence of their room. Even in the first evening hours, the little light still coming from the window was enough for Riza to see how the man made an effort to breathe.

"It's nothing, don't worry."

Roy sat on the bed, elbows resting on his knees and his head on his hands. Riza sat by his side, not saying a word. They were quiet for about five minutes, until Roy could finally breathe normally again, without making any noises.

"It happens sometimes, when I exercise."

"Did you have this problem at the factory?" Riza asked him in a serious tone that demanded an honest answer.

"Not every day. Just sometimes."

Roy licked his lips, staring at the wall. Talking about it was not easy.

"There's this guy at the factory… He works with me in the sinter plant," Roy started to say, but stopped for a moment.

Riza placed a hand on his shoulder, encouraging him to go on. He would usually spend a lot of time complaining about unimportant things, but kept the things that really tormented him to himself. Riza had always thought that this was a very unhealthy habit, even though she actually did the same quite often.

"He also has trouble breathing, but a lot more often than I do. He's always coughing too. The other he had a burst of coughing and started wheezing and breathing with difficulty. We carried him outside to get some fresh air. His lips were turning blue already, I… I really thought he was going to die. And yet, he didn't. He recovered and went back to work the next day."

Roy wasn't one to talk about these things often, and Riza knew it had to disturb him a lot for him to share it. He was worried about his health, something totally new to a young man like him. As Riza listened to him, she felt terrible. She had always helped and protected Roy any way she could, but there was just nothing she could do now. They needed to work to live and to keep their disguises. She was doing all she could, but it wasn't enough. Feeling the situation was serious and that Roy was shaken by it, the Lieutenant moved her hand from Roy's shoulder to the side of his neck and pulled him closer. Roy didn't show any resistance, and Riza let his head rest against her shoulder.

"I'm feeling better now, but once I get back to the factory it will start all over again. By the time we get back to Amestris I'll be like an old asthmatic dog," Roy said after a few seconds, still resting against Riza's shoulder. She stroked his head gently, messing up his hair, and Roy couldn't remember her ever being so affectionate to him. There was no one watching them there. He just closed his eyes and relaxed, afraid that if he did anything, she would move away. It was good not to have to pretend he was in control of everything; to be able to let someone see his weaknesses and not be ashamed of it.

Riza couldn't help but thinking about Roy's words. Old asthmatic dog? For some reason it didn't sound like something he would come up with to describe himself. She was wondering if somebody at the factory had called him that, when Roy answered her unvoiced question.

"I met Edward in the street today."

"Edward? Here in Aerugo?"

Without moving away from Riza, Roy told her about their conversation, leaving out the part when Ed had accused him of being reckless with his Lieutenant's feelings.

"Did Edward call you an asthmatic dog?" she asked annoyed.

Roy straightened himself to look at his Lieutenant. How she had found that out so easily? Maybe it sounded like something Edward would say.

"I had a coughing attack. I guess I really sounded like an asthmatic dog," he explained.

"You know he was teasing you. Considering how you treated him before, I'm not surprised."

"I know that. What annoys me is that he's right."

"He's not right," Riza disagreed immediately.

"He IS!" Roy said loudly, standing up. "You heard the doctor. If this cough and noisy breathing get chronic, I'm done for. What is there for me here, besides respiratory failure sooner or later? I don't understand what Grumman wanted me to do here! He didn't want me to die in battle, but what is the point of staying in that factory waiting for my disease to cripple me?"

His outburst was shocking for the Lieutenant. She could hear the fear, the frustration, and the impatience in his voice, everything burning wildly inside him. Suddenly he wasn't the fearless commander who always kept his cool no matter the situation. He turned around, placing a hand on the wall and the other on his face, rubbing his forehead and slowly calming down. Riza could barely hear him when he continued talking in a whisper.

"If I didn't have you here with me, I don't know what I would do."

"That's why I'm here, Roy," Riza said with a sad smile.

The Brigadier General walked towards her again and looked deep into her eyes. He had to tell her. If he didn't say anything, if he just kept pretending everything was fine between them, he would go crazy. He didn't even care what she would say anymore. He just had to tell her.

"You are the only one who keeps me going now."

The spark she saw in his eyes wasn't there before. For a moment, neither of them dared move, hypnotized by each other's gaze. Riza noticed something different in the way he spoke, but didn't know if it wasn't only her imagination. Roy kept looking at her, and she was finally sure. There was something more. He wasn't joking. Their professionalism was being tested again, but this time she didn't want to fight it. She should. Her own voiced echoed inside her mind, saying that she should keep things the way they were. Before she could back away, Roy closed the distance between them and kissed her lips. It was like her heart had stopped for a second. A brief kiss, but it was real. He meant it, he really did, and it would be perfect, if she could accept it.

Roy drew back a little, opening his eyes again to look at her, feeling nervous. This was the moment that could ruin everything, or make it all better.

"Roy… We shouldn't," she struggled to say after a few moments.

"Why not?" he asked, though he knew exactly why. Their careers, his goals, the lives they led, everything was there to hold them back.

"We are still in the army. We can't give up. We _will_ go back to Amestris, and you _will_ become Fuhrer," Riza managed to gather the strength and said what she needed to say, but couldn't move away from him. She knew she had to. She had to walk away, but she didn't want to. This was her life too, and she wanted to be with him. Why did everything have to be so difficult?

"I promise you I'll accomplish my goals. But nothing would make me happier than if you were there with me."

"You know I'll be always there, but… not like that. We can't, Roy."

Riza finally walked away from him and towards the door. Her fingers had barely touched the doorknob when Roy placed a hand on the wooden door, preventing her from opening it. She turned around to face him, cursing the situation. She couldn't. She wanted it so badly, but they just couldn't run the risk. Love meant making sacrifices sometimes, and she would if she had to.

"Riza, I know you're trying to protect me, but would it be so bad? Really?" Roy asked her, placing his hands now on the walls, on either side of her.

"You are so close now, Roy."

"Stop saying 'you'. _We_ are close. You and I, together," he insisted.

"Yes, _we_ are so close. And now you risk throwing everything away on the spur of the moment?" she said in a slightly accusing way. After all, she had also fought for this. Roy becoming Fuhrer would change the country.

"On the spur of the moment? _The spur of the moment_? You don't understand me," he said, hands firm on the walls on each side of her, preventing her from going away, although Riza wasn't even trying.

He couldn't let her think this was just out of the blue. Of course he was to blame for that idea, since he had come up with the fake marriage and turned it into a joke, but his feelings for her were real. Roy remembered the conversation with Edward earlier. The lad was right. The hint of accusation in Riza's voice suggested he had already hurt her.

"I fell in love with you a long time ago," the Brigadier General said, staring at her amber eyes. "It would be inappropriate, I knew, so I tried to control my feelings, and with all the work and the ghosts from Ishbal haunting me, I did succeed for some time. I even thought I was over you, but I'm not. I never was."

He finally took his hands off the wall and looked away. He had finally said it. It was a relief that at least she knew now. He wasn't lying anymore, and now it was her decision to make. If he could choose, he would be with her. Riza noticed he wouldn't stop her from going away anymore, but after hearing all that, how could she go? He loved her. He had just admitted his feelings for her, in a way she didn't know he was capable of. Since she didn't move, Roy continued talking, taking on a sad expression

"When we fought the father of the homunculi, when that man cut your neck… I was going to open the gate for them. The most stupid and reckless thing to do, at that moment, I was ready to do it. If you hadn't looked at me the way you did..."

Riza sighed, not looking at him either. She didn't like to remember that. She had been used against him, and she hated the fact that she was his weakness. The Brigadier General walked closer to her again and placed his right index finger under her chin, turning her head gently so Riza would look at him.

"If you don't feel the same way about me, I won't bother you any longer. But I need to know, Lieutenant. I need to know how you feel."

"You are just blind sometimes," she said slightly frustrated, still looking in his eyes even though he had removed his hand from her chin. "Why do you think I've followed you so far?"

"You're saying…" he said slowly and hesitatingly, afraid of misunderstanding her.

She just had to smile at his expectation. He had always said he knew women well, but he couldn't figure out her feelings, even though they were so close. There was definitely something funny about that. Maybe he wasn't as good as he said he was.

"You silly," she said, and he finally allowed himself to smile back.

"They need me in Amestris. They need _us._ Grumman wants me to become Fuhrer, and I'm sure he wouldn't change his mind if we were together. He has actually asked about you and me a couple of times before," Roy explained, feeling a lot more at ease. He actually liked it when she called him silly.

"He did?" Riza asked, very surprised.

"Do you think I'd lie?"

"No, you wouldn't. I know."

"They won't change their minds now," Roy added.

"You're right," Riza admitted, only now realizing how tense she had gotten and starting to relax.

"We've walked a long way together. Will you walk with me till the end of this journey?"

"I thought that by now you would already know my answer," she said. That was the determined woman he had fallen in love with.

This time there was no uncertainty when they brought their lips together again. They had both wanted this for so long, but had always restrained their feelings, never daring wonder about it, because it hurt them to think of each other this way when they couldn't be together. Now that they had broken the barriers that kept them apart, it felt nothing but right.

Not able to control himself anymore and being sure that Riza wouldn't want him to anyway, Roy deepened the kiss by parting her lips with his tongue. She seemed to welcome his gesture, as she moved her hands from his chest and linked them behind his neck, pulling him closer. All the tension that had been building up during the last few minutes was already gone.

Roy ran his fingers through Riza's hair, until he found the hair clip she was wearing. He removed it carefully, letting her hair loose. They broke away for a moment to look at each other. The tight grip around her waist made Riza smile with discreet sheepishness, that wouldn't go unnoticed. Roy smiled back, as to assure her that there was nothing to be embarrassed about. He then leaned forward a little, letting his forehead touch Riza's.

"You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you? You're cute when you're mad, so beautiful with your hair loose, and…" he continued with a slightly mischievous smile, "so hot in a uniform."

She raised an eyebrow at him, laughing, before Roy continued.

"You know, I had always wished that someday I'd be able to tell you that when you put on that uniform and that 'ready-for-action' face of yours, you look _so_ hot."

"Is that how you kept your mind busy when you were dodging work at the office?" Riza asked, with a playful slap to his arm.

"Sometimes, yes. Most of the time I was either elaborating some complicated plan to win your heart, or thinking of who I'd have to chase away from you," Roy joked, finding comfort in the familiar ground of their repartee.

"Jealous?" Riza said with a smile.

"How couldn't I be?"

Not finding any possibility of resisting Roy's charming smile, Riza pulled him to another kiss, intense and heart-stopping. They knew they couldn't refrain themselves from going further, so when Riza felt Roy's hand caressing her back and slipping under her blouse, she pulled away from him slowly. She could see the disappointment in his face, but that faded away immediately when she reached for the upper button of his shirt. Neither of them had the strength to fight it anymore. They belonged together and they knew it.

Roy helped her undo the buttons of his shirt and quickly took it off, before helping Riza with her blouse. After that, any doubts or reservations they might have were forgotten. They undressed in a hurry, dropping their clothes carelessly on the floor. This wasn't familiar ground anymore, and the thought of exploring it made them burn with desire.

Riza felt Roy's kisses trailing down her neck as he guided her to the bed, but suddenly he stopped and backed away a few inches, like something had just occurred to him. After a moment wondering what was wrong, Riza realized that he had just touched the scar on her back. The mark he had left on her, when she had asked him to destroy the alchemy symbol, horrified as she was, of the power of Roy's flames.

The Brigadier General pulled Riza's arm gently, as asking her to turn around, and so she did. "It healed fine," she said.

"You got a big scar," he replied in an upset tone, trying to shake those memories away and a placing long affectionate kiss on her back, where he had ruined her skin before. That scar and the others she had reminded him of how strong Riza was, and how strong he had to be for her.

Coming back from the depths of his dark thoughts, Roy decided that no bad memories would spoil that night. Riza was somehow relieved when he pulled her along to the bed, playfully teasing her again. They shared some sad stories, but that would do nothing to keep them apart. It only made them stronger, since they understood each other in a way nobody else could.

And now, as they both experienced each other's touch, whispering loving words, exchanging hot kisses, making love, they couldn't understand how they had managed to fight that for so long. The planet could have stopped spinning, they wouldn't notice.

A slight feeling of giddiness struck the Lieutenant as she felt Roy's fast heartbeat. He was still lying on top of her, with a silly smile playing on his face, like a man who had been swept off his feet for the first time and pretty much enjoyed the feeling.

Riza found it hard to believe. Just hours before she was cursing the whole situation, the fake marriage, the stupid jokes… She was so sure they would never be together and yet, there he was, lying comfortably against her bare naked body. Reality reached her, and she smiled in the dark. Whatever happened when they came back to Amestris, they would deal with it together.

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. Riza jumped on the bed, pushing Roy to the side and pulling the blankets to cover themselves.

"Is everything all right?" Hope's voice came through the closed door.

"Yes, it's all right," Riza answered, a little startled, while Roy sank back on the bed, laughing.

"Harold said Roy wasn't feeling too well. I was worried."

"I'm fine, Hope. Thanks for your concern," Roy said, before hiding his face on the pillow.

Riza could hear his muffled laughs and then the sound of Hope walking away from the door.

"Why are you laughing?" the Lieutenant asked Roy.

"If only you could see yourself… You jumped like… two feet or something. I almost fell off the bed."

"Perhaps we should go. They'll find it odd if we don't go back," she said, ignoring his joke.

"Odd? They think we're married, Riza," Roy said in a good mood. "So, why the hurry? Relax, stay here with me. Please?" he then asked, making his lost-puppy-face again.

Riza just couldn't resist it. She laughed and kissed his lips, then snuggled closer to Roy. He tangled his legs with hers and wrapped an arm around her waist. Being together would only make things easier in the house, so they didn't have to worry.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**November 27****th****, 1917**

The corridors of the prison 50 kilometers South of Central City in Amestris were silent as usual. A Nymbean soldier was watching the cells on the ground floor, where some rebels captured during the most recent operation were imprisoned. Some other soldiers came and opened one of the cells, dragging its occupant out. They beat the man and took him away. The other prisoners watched in silence, knowing that soon would be their turn.

In a cell at the end of the corridor, a tall muscular man was sitting, staring blankly at the walls. He heard the screaming from meters away and sighed. He was supposed to have died months before, anyway. The sound of steps disturbed the silence again, and he closed his eyes, feeling his stomach somersault. The steps were closer and closer, until someone stopped right in front of his cell. Still, the rebel didn't open his eyes.

"So it's true," a voice said.

Havoc opened his eyes, hoping that the voice he had heard belonged to someone else. Not one of his friends, not considering the situation he was in now.

"Breda? What are you doing here?" Havoc couldn't hide his surprise when he asked the red-haired man who was standing outside the cell.

Breda didn't share his surprise, though. He had an unfriendly expression and a night stick in his hand. Havoc didn't have a good feeling about that.

"I'm the one to ask you that. What were you doing with the rebels?"

"Do you think I could stand this shit any longer?" Havoc scoffed.

"Did you kill those Nymbean soldiers they say you killed?" Breda asked him in a serious tone.

Havoc stretched his arms, trying to look cool. He was very nervous, but he didn't want his friend to see that. They had obviously chosen different paths since Mustang had left. Breda had chosen the most sensible path, while Jean had thrown everything away to join the rebellion. And now he was going to pay for his recklessness.

"You really did it, didn't you?" Breda insisted, disgust in his loud voice.

"What? Gonna call me a murderer? At least I'm not helping them to kill our own people," Havoc said accusingly.

"Shut up!" Breda yelled with anger.

The taller soldier laughed at the other's reaction, although he felt disappointed. Havoc thought he knew his friends well, but he had heard that extreme situations often made people change, and not always for good.

"What did _you _do? Nothing useful, of course. Like we could expect anything from you, _First Lieutenant_," the red-haired soldier continued.

"I believe I already told them where they could shove this promotion, _Second Lieutenant_."

"First Lieutenant," Breda corrected him.

Havoc raised an eyebrow at him, like he didn't think the man deserved it.

"So you've been promoted? How many people had to die for that, huh?" Havoc stood up, making an awful noise when his handcuffs hit the metal bars of his cell.

"That's enough."

Breda got a key from his pocket and opened the door. Havoc refused to step back, but couldn't avoid looking shocked. They had fought and risked their lives together, they were friends. Breda couldn't be serious; Havoc really didn't want him to be.

The strike of the night stick against his face hurt his spirit more than his flesh. His comrade - his friend - hit his face, making him trip and fall. Havoc didn't have time to stand up. Breda kicked him on the stomach.

"Very brave of you, kicking a man when his down on the ground," Havoc groaned, not able to stand up yet.

"Shut the fuck up!"

Breda grabbed him by his hair and spoke again, in a low voice this time. Havoc blinked and stared at him open-mouthed, surprise written in his face.

"Day shift ends at 8 o'clock in the evening. I'll hold the night guard for a few minutes," Breda whispered, dropping a key and a wrist watch on the floor.

Havoc looked at the two objects with a shadow of a smile and then shrieked in pain, when Breda hit him with the night stick again.

"You son of a bitch! You think you can talk to me like that?" the red-haired soldier shouted.

Jean finally understood that he would need to play along if he wanted to live.

"What are you going to do about it, you asshole?" he yelled back.

Breda kicked him again and then spoke in a whisper, "The others will be interrogated and transferred to the work camps in Nymbe, but they ordered your public execution."

Havoc turned around and stood on his knees, forehead resting against the floor as he held his stomach, grunting loudly. A small envelope fell by his side.

"Hide this. Take it with you and don't let anyone see it," Breda whispered again.

"What is it?"

"Information."

Havoc got the envelope and hid it inside one of his boots. Breda yelled at him again, and he yelled back, loud swear words being heard throughout the whole facility.

"Are you sure you won't get caught?" Havoc still asked him, spitting some blood on the floor.

"As long as they don't see this envelope, I'll be all right. If you get caught, we're both dead, so don't do anything stupid."

"Right."

Heymans finally left the cell, locking the door. Havoc was still lying on the floor, pain tearing through his body. However, he was happy, happy that he would be able to escape, and that his friend hadn't betrayed him or their country after all. He smiled, staring at the moldy ceiling. After all, Breda and he were the only ones still fighting.

* * *

**A/N:**Hello everyone! Did you enjoy the romance? (By romance, I mean the first half of the chapter, of course… LOL!) I had to write this sooner or later. I hope I was able to please everybody. I also like the second half of this chapter. I got some inspiration from Gundam Wing here. Does anyone know the anime? Well, anyway, thanks a lot for reading! I'm waiting for your reviews!


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **The brilliant mind who created FMA belongs to Arakawa. Hooray for the cow!

I want to say thank you to Hina Kita, Cantata Blue. Fabi Washu, KageNoNeko, Toushirou-chan, ssadropout, noir2107, TheSoundofYourVoice, lecchan, LittleMissAngel and StarCatcher1858 for your great reviews!

I also want to say a special thank you to ssadropout for your wonderful beta-reading work!

* * *

**Chapter 12 – The Xingese Airbase**

**December 1****st****, 1917**

In the Wilkinson's house, the weekends were even noisier than the week days, especially because Aidan, not having to go to school, always accumulated a lot of energy he had to spend somehow. That usually meant he would be following Harold everywhere, helping him in the yard, laughing at the old man's jokes, or insisting in playing ball. Harold found it difficult to play with the 9-year-old, although he did try. That weekend however, Aidan had found someone else to follow around.

"What are those scars on your hands?" the boy asked, sitting on the grass as he watched Roy work in the garden.

Roy bit his lower lip, thinking of something to say. He couldn't tell the boy that a homunculus had pinned him down on the ground by his hands using two swords.

"I… got my hands stuck in a machine once," he lied, although he couldn't even imagine what kind of machine would cause this kind of injury.

The boy seemed to settle for that explanation, since he only questioned Roy about whether it had hurt bad or not. He went on asking random questions, just to get attention from the dark-haired man. The Brigadier General didn't know why he was asking so many questions, but found it funny. However, Aidan soon stopped his interrogatory and started telling the soldier about the boxing classes he took at school. He searched Roy's expression for any interest in the topic, truly hoping to find some.

"The coach says I need to practice more, but Harold won't practice with me," Aidan said, emphasizing the word 'practice'.

"You can practice by yourself. Running is good," Roy said, rubbing his hands to get the dirt off them.

"What does running have to do with boxing?"

"What does it have to do with boxing? Everything!" Roy said, turning to the boy. "You have to be fit to fight."

"Shouldn't I do push-ups then?" Aidan asked.

"Yeah, that too, but if your opponent gets tired before you do, he's toast. That's why running is good."

Aidan's eyes glowed with interest in the new tip. Roy put the gardening tools to the side and took on a defensive stance, hands ready to take a few punches.

"Let me see how you punch."

Inside the house, Grandma Lorraine came downstairs and walked into the kitchen, a grin taking about 10 years off her wrinkled face. Nancy asked her what she was so happy about, and the old woman guided her to the nearest window, through which they saw Aidan and Roy. The boy's face was already red, and his hair, sweat damp. He had his clenched fists in the air, in a fighting stance, as he paid attention to Roy, who seemed to be explaining something about boxing.

"An upright stance is more offensive," he told Aidan, not aware that they were being watched.

"But we always practice a semi crouch stance," the boy argued.

"You should practice punching in the two stances. This will give you an advantage over your opponent. Now try it."

The boy punched Roy's callused hands a few times then stopped, as Roy told him to focus more on quality than on quantity.

"There, good. Again. Stronger this time," Roy said.

Aidan grunted, before complaining that he was already using all his strength.

"Use your body, kid. You don't move only your arms when you punch."

After a few more minutes of practice, Aidan admitted he was already exhausted. They both walked inside, Roy curious about the half-hidden smiles playing on everybody's faces. Aidan still followed him to the laundry room as Roy picked a clean shirt for himself.

"That was so cool! I'm going to practice this and I'll be better than the other boys!" Aidan cheered happily.

"Yup, you will," Roy agreed, taking off his shirt covered in dirt and tossing it in the laundry basket. He turned around and saw Aidan imitate him, also taking off his jacket and shirt and tossing them on top of Roy's dirty shirt.

Roy laughed a bit, as he could see Aidan was only imitating him, and got a clean shirt for the boy.

"You'd better take a bath."

"I don't want to," Aidan replied casually.

"Why not?"

"Because I look like a man."

"You… look like a man because you're all sweaty and dirty?" Roy asked, wondering where he had gotten that logic from. A boy who had grown up in a rich family should think sweat and dirt were the characteristics of poor laborers who had no better future.

"Yeah! I mean… You always come from the factory all dirty."

The soldier laughed loudly this time, which made the boy pleased.

"All right, but you can be a man and be clean, can't you?"

"I guess," Aidan shrugged. "Hey."

"Yeah?" Roy asked, while they walked back into the kitchen, where the women pretended not to pay attention to the man-to-man conversation.

"There's gonna be a boxing match tomorrow. Harold never takes me to the boxing matches, can you take me?"

Roy pulled his damp hair back, not looking at the child. He wasn't used to children, but Aidan was nice for a kid. He didn't want to disappoint him once they had started to get along. However, he didn't think Victoria would approve of a nine year old boy going to a boxing match with a factory worker.

"You'd have to ask your grandmother," he said plainly.

Aidan took off to the second floor in amazing speed. They could hear him call 'Grandmaaaaa' all the way upstairs.

"Poor kid… A boxing competition is no place for children," Roy said to Hope, who had been watching.

"Actually the match he's talking about is at the gym near the school," Hope explained, as she had heard about the competitions at least a hundred times.

"They hold these events every weekend. He's always complaining that the other kids from school go with their dads, but Harold really hates boxing."

"He'll certainly enjoy if you can take him," Nancy said, juggling with the dishes in the sink to wash them quickly.

Roy sighed, thinking that soon the two weeks off work would be over, and he would have to go back to the factory. That was probably the only chance he would have to take the boy to a match.

The next day, after they had all had breakfast, the Brigadier General was putting on his coat when Aidan walked into the staff area, wearing a nice clean suit. It had never occurred to Roy that only rich people attended to these events at the gymnasium. He looked at his own shabby clothes and wondered if the boy wouldn't be embarrassed.

"Let's go-O-o!" Aidan complained loudly. "We can get good seats if we arrive early."

"All right, all right! Just… Where's my…" Roy started to say, looking around.

"Your hat?" Riza asked, holding the flat cap in the air.

"Yes, my hat," Roy agreed, letting her adjust the cap on top of his head. He just enjoyed the way she brushed his hair to the side carefully, before putting the cap on his head. He placed a kiss on her lips, ignoring the looks from Hope and Nancy.

Roy and Riza didn't have to pretend anymore, so they had allowed themselves to demonstrate their affection in front of the others a few times. Since then, Hope and Harold had finally stopped bugging them and seemed to think whatever crisis their marriage had gone through, it had been solved.

Roy left with the boy, hoping to arrive early enough. The gymnasium was a fancy place, and the people who had come were all dressed neatly, chatting politely like business men, before the match started. Many boys were there too, sitting on the benches, moving their legs back and forward, wishing their parents would allow them to play with each other. When the match started, however, the audience got up and cheered noisily, as the men in the boxing ring showed why they were so famous.

A loud moan emerged from the audience, almost as if they all could feel the blow the shorter man had gotten to his face.

"I can't see! What's going on?" Aidan yelled, trying to get in between the adults in front of him. Being short, he couldn't see much.

Two big hands grabbed him by his waist and lifted him up in the air. Aidan was confused and even a little startled for a moment, until he finally understood it. As he was still considerably short for a nine-year-old, Aidan managed to sit on Roy's shoulders without much problem. This way the boy could appreciate a privileged view of the ring.

The match went on for a long time, but Aidan couldn't get tired of it. The best part of it, he thought, was that for the first time he wasn't jealous of other boys who had their fathers with them.

"Come on! Don't give up! Move your body, Oscar!" Aidan yelled, other boys around shooting jealous looks at him. Their fathers would never carry them on their shoulders and probably weren't even strong enough to lift them in the air half as easily as Roy had done.

Oscar, the shorter competitor, managed to knock out the opponent, causing a roaring sound to fill the gymnasium. Aidan shouted happily as well, waving his hands in the air. Out of all the people in there, he had sure gotten the best view of the fight.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**December 5****th****, 1917**

Days had passed since Havoc had escaped the prison South of Central City with Breda's help. Infiltrating the enemy base, Breda had found out that the Nymbean authorities were aware of the location of a certain Amestrian warehouse, where equipment and weapons were stored. He barely had contact with the Secret Intelligence Force, so as not to risk blowing his cover, but he suspected that the place was used either by the S.I.F. itself or by rebel forces. By giving this information to Havoc and letting him loose, Breda had avoided what would be a real problem to the S.I.F. and to the Fuhrer. Havoc just couldn't believe what he found when he got to the warehouse to warn the soldiers who guarded it.

Airplane parts and engines.

Amestris was secretly building its own air force under direct orders from the Fuhrer. One could easily understand how important it was to keep this a secret. The warehouse was cleared quickly in one night, and all the parts were transported by train to a small town in the East. From there they were all loaded in trucks, which would transport the parts to one of the most important – and recently built – airbases.

Havoc thought that he couldn't know what else to expect from his life, as they traveled along the endless roads mercilessly struck by the hot desert sun during the day, and by the freezing winter wind during the night. The roads to the country of Xing, roads that Brigadier General Mustang had built, were now an easy way out of the country. Airbase number three was a big facility built only a few kilometers away from one of Xing's main cities. To get there, they had to cross the desert.

Ling Yao, Emperor of Xing, had allowed Amestrian soldiers into the country to join the Xingese engineers in their effort to build airplanes and train pilots. This way, Amestris would have a chance to fight the bomber-aircrafts that were Nymbe's trump card, and Xing would avoid the war threat that was haunting half the continent.

Xing had to be a beautiful country. It had better be, Havoc thought, as he couldn't take that dreadful trip any longer. It was night already, and the cold temperature didn't please him at all. They should arrive the next morning, so Jean wondered about the so called airbase until he drifted off to sleep.

When Havoc woke up little after sunrise, the trucks had already parked outside a warehouse. Jean jumped back to the ground and looked around. The airbase was more or less like he had imagined, although he hadn't thought it would be that big. There was a long runway a few hundred meters away, surrounded by hangars. Some soldiers from the base had come to check on the parts and talk to them, so Havoc joined them, trying to understand the weird conversation he heard. It was a mixture of Amestrian and Xingese. Soldiers from Xing spoke a little Amestrian, while Amestrians took their turn trying to say something in Xingese too. Somehow they seemed to understand each other.

"Look at that!" Someone said, pointing at the sky excitedly.

Jean turned around, looking for what was so interesting that had drawn everyone's attention. A small biplane was in the sky, coming down fast in a spiral.

"Crap, he's gonna crash!" Havoc yelled worriedly.

The others all laughed at Jean's surprised expression when the biplane pulled up not very far from the ground and went back in the air.

"It's just one of the pilots training early," a guy as tall as Havoc said by his side.

"What a nutjob," Havoc groused.

"Who fly plane early, Rogers?" a Xingese guy asked the tall one by Jean's side.

"I don't know. At this hour? It must be Dean, or maybe Speeding Bullet."

"Nutjobs," Jean repeated.

Rogers then saw some people walking by and waved at a young girl who was carrying a tool box. She was obviously Amestrian and had short dark brown hair and dark eyes. Despite her delicate features, something in the way she dressed, and even in the way she walked, suggested she was a bit of a rebel.

"Hey, Kayleigh."

"What's up, Rogers?" the girl asked, looking at Havoc. "Rookie?" she asked him.

"No, I just ended up here by accident."

"Who's flying that plane, there? Dean?" Rogers asked.

"No, that's my boyfriend."

"Ah, I knew it had to be either Dean or Bullet at this hour," Rogers said, before Kayleigh said she had things to do and walked away.

Havoc joined the others in their effort to unload the truck quickly and spent the next hour helping move ungodly heavy crates into the warehouse. The last crates in the truck had to be carried to a hangar, which was a few meters further than the warehouse. Havoc sighed, hoping to finish soon.

As they entered the hangar, they were all greeted by lots of noise. The place was in a whirl of activity. Xingese and Amestrian were heard all over the facility. Havoc and two other guys placed a crate on the ground, and the Lieutenant walked around it, looking at the airplanes about a hundred meters from him.

"I'll tell her to fix it, don't worry."

Havoc thought he was hearing things. He had just heard a familiar voice, one he didn't expect to ever hear again. He searched the crowd of pilots and mechanics around for who had said that, but didn't see anyone he knew. His mind had just played a mean trick on him. However, in the middle of all the chit-chat, he heard the same voice speak again, in what sounded like broken Xingese with a heavy Amestrian accent.

He searched the area surrounding him again, and this time his eyes locked in on someone nearby. The short spiky dark hair, the glasses, the teenage look. Kain Fuery was easy to recognize even from a distance.

"What the hell…" he said, loud enough to call attention from the people around, including Fuery himself.

"Havoc!" the lad yelled, surprise written on his face.

Kain put a toolbox he was carrying back on the floor and walked towards the Lieutenant, smiling widely.

"Man, you're alive!" Havoc yelled happily, patting him on the back a few times.

"I am, I'm sorry if I got you worried about me," Fuery said, as the other placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, about that…" Havoc said, raising his hand again like he was going to give Kain another friendly pat on the back.

Fuery almost fell to the ground with the impact against the back of his head.

"We thought you had been arrested to be interrogated and killed!" Havoc yelled angrily, as Fuery rubbed his head with a painful expression.

"I'm sorry," Kain said again, although a little annoyed.

Havoc still eyed him angrily. He was happy to see his friend alive and well, but he felt angry and betrayed at the same time. They had expected the worst. Jean himself had woken up in the middle of the night after some nightmare in which his friend was tortured for information and killed. He had felt terrible just to think of what could have happened to him.

"I couldn't talk to you. They told me not to tell anyone!" Fuery tried to explain, while walking by Havoc's side.

The Lieutenant still hit him again, although not so hard this time. Fuery almost tripped, and then he turned around to look at his friend.

"What was this one for?" he protested.

"It's fun," Havoc said plainly.

Before the Sergeant had the time to complain about the unnecessary violence, a dog came running from behind a small crowd that was watching them and stood between Fuery and Havoc.

Jean took a step back as he recognized Black Hayate, Hawkeye's dog, baring his teeth at him. Fuery ordered the dog to stop, but Hayate still kept an eye on the Lieutenant while Havoc followed Fuery around, telling him about how he had joined the rebels and finally ended up at the airbase.

They stopped walking when they got to a large fighter biplane with seats for two people, on the other side of the hangar. Fuery placed the toolbox on the ground next to it and easily climbed the fuselage to look for something inside.

"Cool plane," Havoc observed.

"This airplane here is designed only for air-to-air combat, to shoot down other aircraft. Our enemy's aircraft are mostly bombers, although they have a few fighter-bombers as well," he explained, grabbing something in the cockpit.

"You need two people to fly this thing?"

"No, not really. The pilot flies it and controls that machine gun in the front. But if it jams, he can't reach it in the air," Fuery explained.

"Makes sense."

"The person who sits in the back can operate a submachine gun to shoot enemies who are out of the main weapon range and operate the radio."

"I see. A submachine gun is portable, so you can fire in any direction with it. Very convenient," Havoc said, studying the aircraft like it was something from another planet.

Fuery got down to the floor again, carrying two dark brown helmets with dark goggles and leather edgerolls. He handed one of them to Havoc, who took it in his hands, turning the object around in order to examine every bit of that piece of safety equipment.

"Try it on. See if it fits," Fuery said.

"What for?"

"I was taking a break, but I have to go back in the air. I can take you for a ride if you want."

Havoc stared speechlessly at Fuery for a few seconds, before he managed to say, "You're joking."

"Sure as hell I'm not joking," Kain boasted and laughed. "Try it on."

"I thought you were a mechanic."

"I came here to learn the mechanics of airplanes, but they were a little short on people to fly, so they ordered me to learn it. It's cool once you get used to it," Fuery explained.

"You're a pilot?" Havoc repeated, still too surprised to really believe.

"Try the helmet on," Kain insisted, laughing at his friend's shocked face.

Havoc stared at the helmet in his hands then at the biplane. Flying up in the sky, free like a bird, had to be the adventure of a life time. However, thinking about the height and speed that aircraft could probably reach made Havoc's stomach somersault.

"It's safe, don't worry," Fuery guaranteed, as he could see his friend was fighting an inner battle right in front of him.

Havoc took a deep breath and tried the helmet on. With a little adjustment to the edgeroll, it fit just perfectly.

"Just don't get us killed," Jean pleaded.

"Hey! Speeding Bullet there was born to fly that junk," someone said.

Havoc turned around and saw an older man, with a grey mustache and a jolly appearance. He, too, was carrying a pilot helmet.

"But honestly, man. Try not to scare the hell out your friend with loops and stuff," the guy added.

"I won't," Fuery said, looking at a very disturbed Havoc, just by his side, as the mustache man walked away towards the Xingese guys who were welding a plane at the other end of the hangar.

"Speeding Bullet?"

"Just a nickname," Fuery explained.

"Wait a minute… YOU were the nutjob flying that airplane when I arrived!" Havoc asked in a loud voice, almost yelling.

Fuery puckered his lips in annoyance when he heard what the other had called him, but decided to ignore it and asked what time Havoc had arrived instead.

"They said it was you," Havoc insisted. "The girl… Wait, that was your girlfriend?" Havoc's voice changed from surprise to mischief, but only for a second.

"Kayleigh? Yeah, she's my girlfriend," he replied, turning bright red in less than five seconds. "Get in the plane, I'll help you buckle up."

Jean finally came back to reality, and noticed he didn't feel very comfortable with the idea of flying in a biplane.

"No way, man. You're crazy. I'm not getting in that plane with you."

"I won't do any maneuvers if you don't want me to," Kain insisted.

"No."

Some other people who were listening tried to muffle their laughs, as their conversation sounded funny. The two soldiers, however, didn't even notice. Fuery shook his head, walking towards the plane. Havoc was determined not to move from his place, when he heard Kain's voice.

"Chicken."

"What did you call me?"

"You called me a nutjob."

"That's because you are!"

Fuery shook his head once more, annoyed.

"Oh, what the hell. I'll go. But if you do any maneuvers with me on the plane, I'll kick your ass once we get back on the ground. I mean it," Havoc warned him with a serious tone.

"All right, all right," the other replied with a laugh.

Havoc climbed into the plane, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach and the uncontrollable wish to keep his feet on the ground. After all, he probably wouldn't ever get another chance to fly, and Fuery had to know what he was doing to invite him along. Never had he imagined he would actually enjoy the thrill of the ride.

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**A/N: **See? See? Just like I promised! Fuery is back! Does anyone remember the very beginning of this story? The first part of the first chapter? Well, at least you can find out who one of the people there was. Thanks again everybody, for reading, reviewing, favoriting and alerting. If you have the time, please leave a review. See you next Friday!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to the cow, just like my soul belongs to my boss…

I want to say thank you to lecchan, Hina Kita, TheSoundOfYourVoice, LittleMissAngel, KageNoNeko, Cantata Blue, ssadropout, IcePhantom, Guns and Swords, Hollowmist, Cupcake Vigilante, So Like Riza, StarCatcher1858 and Toushirou-chan for your reviews!

I also want to say a special thank you to my beta-reader, ssadropout for your wonderful work beta-reading my story!

* * *

**Chapter 13**** – The Accident **

**December 20****th****, 1917 **

As the temperatures were really low at this time of the year, the work in the sinter plant wasn't so bad, Roy thought, as he shivered because of the cold wind that blew at him while he traveled by train. The trip home felt long, but the trip back to the factory always felt worse. He was happy to jump off the train and walk the rest of the way to the Wilkinson family's house, hands shoved in his pockets, arms glued to his body in a weird attempt at getting warm.

"I'm freezing," he said inconsolably, when Riza opened the door for him.

She placed her hands on his cheeks, feeling the cold of his skin and then ran her fingers over the material of the clothes he was wearing.

"We need to buy you some warmer clothes, Roy."

"Seems so."

"Come stand near the oven, I'll get you some clean clothes."

Riza grabbed the warmest clothes she could find and a towel so he could take a bath and came back to the kitchen. She noticed that his face was contorted in a grimace, and asked what was wrong. Roy tried to talk, but all he managed to do was cough. He had been trying to hold it, but speaking always made it worse.

"Take a warm bath; you'll feel better," Riza said and as soon as he was gone, she slouched on a chair, elbows on the table, her face hidden in her hands.

"Is everything all right?" Nancy asked.

"What are we going to do during the winter? He can't keep coming here every night. He'll get pneumonia in this weather," Riza said, truly worried.

She knew she should tell him not to come, but she just didn't have the heart to. Roy was always so happy to come, especially now that their problems pretending to be a couple had been sorted out. She knew how he dreaded the work in the factory. Coming home was a relief for him. How could she tell him not to come?

Riza tried to shake those thoughts away and stood up. She still had a lot to do. When Roy came out of the bathroom, she didn't let him help in the kitchen and dragged him to her bedroom instead. She closed the door and looked back at Roy who smiled at her, clearly thinking of something else. She had to make an effort to push him away when he came to kiss her mouth.

"What's wrong?" he asked, very confused.

"You need to rest and get warm, otherwise you'll get sick. Lie down and try to get some sleep," she said, fighting not to sound too concerned.

"I'm all right, Riza," he said, feeling disappointed. He really had misunderstood her reasons for dragging him there.

"You need to get warm. Can't you sleep here and go to the factory early in the morning?"

"But then I'd have to take the 5 o'clock train. That's really early," he groused.

"I'll get up with you and we can have breakfast together, before you go."

Roy gave the idea some thought. He hated waking up early, but sleeping at home with Riza sounded like a great idea. He finally agreed, and Riza was about to go back to the kitchen, but he grabbed her by her waist and kissed the back of her neck.

"I'm working, Roy," she said, although not really trying to get away from him. His lips trailed up her neck to behind her ear, and he talked in a whisper.

"Promise you'll come back when you're free?"

She had found out that when he did that, saying 'no' was almost impossible. It was like a spell, simply irresistible.

"Roy, if I get pregnant, I won't be able to protect you," she said in a serious tone, straightening herself.

"I'll protect you then," Roy replied, not willing to give up yet.

"I'm serious."

Roy stopped kissing her neck and reconsidered the matter. He finally agreed to let her go, although not happy with the idea.

... … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**December 20****th****, 1917**

Late at that same night but kilometers away from Kratovy, Victor Masheck finished packing his things and left the room he rented in the old lousy pension where he was staying. He hid his gun in his jacket and walked out of the building and through the dark alleys, towards the nearest train station. If he didn't make it in time, if he got caught, bad things could happen. Although he didn't know much about Grumman's plans for the war, he had some important information on the whereabouts of many people, including Brigadier General Mustang.

He crossed the street in a hurry and heard steps. The steps were right behind him, spaced apart by a very short interval, like the person was almost running. Masheck inhaled deeply and started to run as fast as he could, not once looking back. He was sure they were after him. A shot was fired. Masheck didn't stop. He knew the chances of a person being shot when running were small. He heard a second shot. Despite the serious situation, he managed to notice the second shot sounded different. It had been fired by a different gun, which meant at least two men were after him. Another two shots were fired. The Amestrian agent was only about 50 feet from an abandoned building, where he could try to hide. The fifth shot hit his left leg and he fell, face down on the ground.

"Stop right there!" a tall bald man snapped, pointing his .45 caliber at the fallen agent.

"Can't go anywhere with this, can I?" Masheck said in a low voice, interrupted by short noisy breaths. His leg hurt like hell. The bone had been shattered by the bullet and the muscles were ragged. The wound was bleeding an awful lot and in spite of not posing a threat to his life itself right now, it meant he could not escape anymore.

"You're coming with us," the other, a short heavily-built man with glasses, ordered.

Victor Masheck laughed with scorn. He didn't feel like being tortured to death for the information he had. He slipped his hand inside his jacket in a swift movement, not giving the men time to think.

"Don't move!"

It was too late. Masheck drew his gun, and the bald man shot him in the chest before he could fire.

"Idiot! We weren't supposed to kill him!" the one with the glasses yelled.

"He was going to shoot you!" the other one uttered in panic.

Masheck rolled on his back and stared at the two startled men. His gun was out of reach now, and he smiled, showing reddened teeth from the blood that came up his trachea.

"Thanks guys… I prefer to die quickly," he said, before his head fell to the side. He gasped irregularly for air a few times and then stopped moving, eyes still open.

The short man got the gun from the ground to check it and cursed.

"Son of a bitch! The gun was empty!" he shouted in anger, throwing the gun in a ditch.

... … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**January 26****th****, 1918 **

A new year had started and with it, the hope for changes and for a better future blossomed inside every person living on the continent. For some people however, the new year only served as a reminder of how fast time had passed.

Roy washed his face and went back to work, after a very short break. It was only a quarter to eleven in the morning and lunch wouldn't be served at the factory until half past noon. However, one wouldn't find a person in that place that wasn't hungry already. All the laborers had breakfast very early and never had much to eat, so they couldn't help but feeling hungry. Roy looked at the clock on the wall, meters away from him, in an attempt to see what time it was, despite the long distance between him and the plastic object. He cursed the fact that there would be hours before he could call it a day.

The soldier hit the ground with his shovel and stopped a moment to breathe. As usual, the dust and the smoke were very disagreeable. He stared at his own hands and turned his right palm up, studying the calluses. Before starting work at the factory, his hands were considerably smoother. Now his arms were a lot stronger as well, and even his legs were a little more muscular than before, although he had lost some weight. He smirked, remembering a specific day in the army, when Second Lieutenant Havoc had made fun of him because of his thin arms.

"_You need to pump some iron, boss… The ladies like it, you know…_" the blond soldier had said, laughing in a friendly way.

Roy went back to work, wondering about his subordinates. How were they? Were they angry at him for leaving without telling them? Would they still follow him when he came back? Those were questions that bothered him deeply. And what about Havoc? He had apparently killed Nymbean soldiers and disappeared. Roy thought that he must had had a good reason to do so, although he knew he would scold the Lieutenant for throwing everything away and doing something so reckless. That is, if he ever had the chance, if he ever met Havoc again.

"Crap…" Roy mumbled. Almost a year had gone by, and he missed his subordinates. They were more than that, they were his friends. He just hoped they would all be all right, and that they would forgive him for leaving them behind.

Roy threw a shovel full of iron ore in the machine and felt the ground shake as a deafening sound echoed throughout the building. He immediately realized what it was. The blast furnace, in the building adjacent to the sinter plant, had just exploded. Men started to shout for help as Roy and the other workers in the sinter plant dropped their tools to go aid the victims. That was when an eerie cracking sound was heard. Dust fell from the ceiling, and Roy felt something like a tiny pebble fall on his head. He didn't even have time to look up. A man yelled that the roof was collapsing, but didn't manage to finish his sentence. Part of the structure that upheld the roof cracked and fell, bringing most of it down and making the workers disappear under all the rubble.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

It was still early in the afternoon when Harold parked the car on the street, in front of the house. He had driven Mrs. Wilkinson to a meeting with her publisher, and Victoria had wanted to meet some other people afterwards. They weren't supposed to be back until dinner time, so Hope, Nancy, and Riza were surprised when Harold rushed into the back hall, followed closely by the elegant woman.

"Is there something wrong, Harold?" Hope asked her husband, as she could see his face was pale.

"Riza, in which factory does Roy work, again?" Harold asked the Lieutenant, ignoring his wife in the hurry.

"The steel mill, why?" she asked, holding her breath. "Did something happen?"

"He works… uh…" Harold started to say, "In the main building, right?"

"No, he works in the sinter plant. Harold, did something happen?" Riza asked again, louder this time.

The old man bit his lip and looked down for a second, searching for words. Victoria took a step forward and took control of the situation.

"We heard there was an accident in the factory. Apparently one of the blast furnaces exploded and the roof collapsed in two of the buildings. The sinter plant was one of them," she said all at once, knowing that Riza was scared enough already, and pausing in between sentences wouldn't help her at all.

Nancy took Riza's arm, trying to get her to sit down, as the blond woman started to desperately ask for more information. Short of the time of the explosion, they didn't know anything else.

That couldn't be. It was just so unfair. Roy dreaded the place. He could be hurt, he could be _dead_. To die alone in a place he loathed, after fighting to resist, after all he had been through, all _they_ had been through… It was unthinkable. He should be by her side, not working in that doomed factory.

"Have a glass of water."

Riza looked to the side and for the first time she noticed Aidan. He held a glass of water with uncertainty and looked worriedly at her. Even Grandma Lorraine had come and in a rare lucid moment, shot a sad look at them, apparently aware of seriousness of the situation.

"Thank you," she said to Aidan, taking the glass, but not drinking from it. "I have to go there."

"I'll drive you," Harold came forward immediately. He, too, was worried about Roy.

"I'll go with you," Victoria said. She always felt she should look after her staff. Riza was a respectful employee, and her husband was a decent man. She didn't want anything bad to happen.

"Can I go?" Aidan pleaded, but Hope was quick to explain why he should stay home. The boy clung to Hope's skirt, very disturbed.

"He will be all right, won't he?" he asked Hope. "He's strong. He should be all right…"

Harold didn't exactly know the way to the steel mill, but all they had to do was follow a fire truck along the road, and after a few minutes that felt like long hours, they finally arrived at the place. Even from far away they could see that two of the buildings didn't have roofs. They had both been brought down by the explosion in the blast furnace. There were police officers, firefighters, and factory workers joining forces, taking the rubble in carts, and carrying victims out of the buildings. There were injured people everywhere, lying on the ground and waiting for a doctor to see them, while other workers tried to stop their wounds from bleeding.

The first thing that called Riza's attention when they got out of the car was a dirty sheet spread over a body on the ground. She looked further and noticed there were more. Ten bodies were side by side on the floor, and a doctor was just covering the eleventh one with a brown piece of cloth. Someone with a religious upbringing had lit a candle close to one of the poor dead men.

An officer approached the three of them and asked if they knew anyone who worked in the factory.

"My husband, Roy Hawkeye," Riza said, eyes still on the dead bodies.

The officer nodded and said he would ask about him. Another man, wearing regular clothes and covered in dirt came, asking if they could take a look at the bodies and try to identify any of them.

"The bodies? But don't you know who those men are?" Victoria asked, very annoyed.

"Not all of them, Ma'am," the guy said, scratching his grey hair. "We've identified only seven."

"I'll do that," Harold offered.

"You don't have to, I'll go," Riza replied, but Victoria held her by the arm.

"Let Harold go, my dear. Seeing dead bodies now is the last thing you need."

Riza conceded and observed from a distance, while the guy took Harold to see the bodies. She watched the gardener's every move, as he shook his head four times, not recognizing any of the still unidentified victims. Harold was relieved to come back and tell them none of those were Roy. His face was almost green now.

"I think I'm going to puke…" Harold said. Riza thought he was exaggerating, until the old man turned around and threw up on a patch of grass. "I'm sorry," he said, slightly embarrassed, then straightened himself up, looking somewhere ahead.

Riza and Victoria turned to the direction he was looking and saw the police officer that had talked to them before, waving from about 50 feet away.

"He's here! He's alive!"

Riza felt like a terrible weight had been lifted off her, but only for a short time. The image of Roy, hurt and bleeding through horrible wounds came to her. Although only a product of her imagination, it made her stomach drop. She had seen badly injured people many times before. During the war, people hurt in explosions, having lost legs or arms were a common sight. They hurried through piles of rubble, injured workers, and officers and finally saw Roy, a few meters away from the entrance of the ruined sinter plant. He was lying on the ground and a dark-skinned-man, another worker, was sitting by his side.

"I think it's your wife, man," the worker said to Roy.

"Roy, are you all right?" Riza asked, kneeling by the General's side, eyes examining him from head to toe, trying to figure out how badly wounded he was.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a weak voice.

He had a cut on his forehead, but apart from that, Riza couldn't see any injuries because he had a long-sleeved shirt on. She held his hand tight, and the guy by their side turned to her.

"Careful there. His arm might be broken."

"Did you see what happened? Is he okay?" she asked him.

"He's in pretty bad shape, Mrs. Hawkeye. I'm sorry. The doctor saw him already, says he's probably got internal bleeding," the man explained.

"The doctor saw him?" Riza asked nervously, as the guy stood up. "What else did he say?"

"That he won't make it. He would need surgery."

"Well, then what are you people waiting for?" Victoria snapped.

"With all due respect Ma'am, people like us don't get surgery. That's for the lucky ones who can afford it."

The man left for the factory, to aid the rest of the victims.

"Well, that's absurd," Victoria said loudly. "Doctor! Doctor! We need a doctor here!" she started to shout, raising a hand in the air and trying to get somebody's attention.

"What happened?" Roy asked confused, looking at Riza.

"The roof collapsed," she said, holding his hand gently, and brushing the hair away from his face.

"The roof? Where am I?" Roy turned his face to the side, looking around.

"At the steel mill, Roy."

"Was I shot?"

It didn't take long for Riza to understand that for some reason, the General seemed to think he was still in Ishbal. It was something from his past that had always haunted him. All the people he had burned to death still seemed to follow him.

"Doctor!" Victoria shouted once more and finally a red-headed man with a first aid kit came.

"Will you stop yelling?" he complained, dragging a briefcase full of medication.

"This man here needs your care," Victoria explained, pointing at Roy.

"I examined him already," the guy replied in an annoyed tone of voice.

"And what have you done?" the writer asked accusingly.

The doctor wiped the sweat off his forehead, sighed and looked at the soldier, like trying to remember what was wrong with him.

"His blood pressure's low, his abdomen is tense and very painful," he finally said, pulling Roy's shirt up, to show the bruised skin, "he's probably got internal hemorrhage. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."

"Can't he be operated on?" Riza asked.

"I'm not a surgeon." the doctor said, irritated. He probably didn't mind being useless, because he shrugged and looked away, probably thinking of an excuse to go away.

"Can't you take him to a hospital?" Victoria asked this time, her voice getting louder again as she confronted the doctor.

"Who's going to pay for it?"

The man looked at Roy like he was trying to gather whatever was left of his patience and made an estimate of what the surgery and hospitalization bills could add up to if he were to be operated on. A tear streamed down Riza's face and she sank back on the ground by Roy's side, holding tight to his hand as though his life was slipping away from her at that very moment. Even adding her wage to his, they wouldn't have the money they needed.

"Please, don't cry," Roy pleaded, squeezing the Lieutenant's hand.

"Well, if that's how much money it's going to cost, get an ambulance to take him. I'll take responsibility for the bills," Victoria said, placing a hand on Riza's shoulder and glaring at the young doctor.

"Are you sure about this? It's expensive," the doctor said, shifting weight from one leg to another, not looking as glad as he should.

"So you're saying this man's life isn't worth the money? You chose the wrong career, boy. I hear the funeral business pays well, you should consider it," Victoria said bitterly.

"Screw you…" the doctor said and left to get another doctor to drive an ambulance to the city hospital.

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**A/N: **Ok, everybody hates my guts now… Before I say anything else, should I bullet-proof my windows? I hope not, hehehe! Well, don't be mad at me. And I also ask you to leave a review, if you have the time, please. Thanks for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything! *Bangs head against the wall*

I want to say thank you to lecchan, TheSoundofYourVoice, jbean13, Fabi Washu, StarCatcher1858, LilDemonWarrior, KageNoNeko, ssadropout, Aieika, Toushirou-chan, Hina Kita, Cantata Blue and mebh for your great reviews!

I also want to say a big thank you to my beta-reader, ssadropout, for your awesome beta work and for all your patience!

* * *

**Cha****pter 14 – The Salesman**

**January 26****th****, 1918**

When the clean white walls of the hospital welcomed the group, Riza was feeling relieved, but tired. Just to think that they'd go through another hospitalization made her feel uneasy. It wasn't the first time Roy entered a hospital in critical condition.

"Okay, what do we got?" a man in his early forties with curly hair and a friendly expression asked a long-haired doctor who had come with the ambulance.

They exchanged some information about the patient, and the long-haired man left with Riza to the hospital reception, to fill in the forms and the hospitalization chart, while the other one examined Roy.

"Do you know where you are, sir?" a nurse asked.

Harold and Victoria observed from a distance, trying not to get in the doctor's way.

"A campaign hospital," Roy answered after a moment of silence.

"Campaign hospital?" the doctor asked. "Where?"

"Ishbal?" Roy answered uncertainly.

The doctor shot a confused look at the nurse by his side and then turned to Roy again.

"Do you know what happened to you?"

"I was shot," Roy said slowly, like making an effort to remember.

The doctor got a small flashlight to check Roy's pupil reflexes and did some other neurological tests, while asking a few more questions with a tone of curiosity.

"Are you a soldier," he paused to look at the chart, "Roy?"

"Yes…" Roy answered annoyed, like the answer was obvious.

"Could he be talking about something that happened in the past?" Victoria stepped in and asked the doctor, slightly disturbed.

"Have you ever heard of any place called 'Ishbal'? He hit his head," the doctor said to her with a laugh. "So, Roy, what's your rank?"

The last question got Roy thinking a few seconds.

"Major… No, Colonel. Hell, I don't know…" Roy replied, feeling confused and exhausted. He was a Major in Ishbal, although for some reason he felt like he had another rank now and it wasn't even Colonel. However, he couldn't remember which that was.

Another nurse came, and they pushed the gurney out of the ER and to the operating room. The doctor stayed behind, filling some last details in the chart he had.

"This happens quite often. He's confused because of the head trauma, so he made up all this. A Colonel working in a sweatshop? No way…"

Harold nodded at the doctor and then looked at Victoria, unsure about it. He could see the woman wasn't so quick to consider Roy's confused talk a product of his head trauma.

"Hm… Mrs. Wilkinson?" the gardener called. "Is there such a place called Ishbal?"

Victoria puckered her lips, thinking about the war that had happened in Amestris, more specifically in Ishbal, years before. She had read about it many times.

"I have never heard of this place, no." she said, crossing her arms and looking in another direction. She didn't like to lie to other people.

"Do you think he's a Colonel?" Harold still asked, taking off his hat and scratching his head.

"I don't know, but let's not mention this to Riza for now. She's very worried already."

The two of them left the room and sat on the chairs in the waiting room. Victoria found it hard to believe. Could Roy be a soldier? Now thinking about it, it made sense. Despite his supposedly humble origins, he could talk about any topic and was very well versed in politics, just like Riza. He was also very respectful and disciplined, something that made Victoria remember her son Samuel, who had served in the army and had died in a violent conflict years before.

"This world is one messed-up place," Victoria mumbled in disbelief.

"I'm sorry?"

"It's nothing, Harold."

Soon Riza met them again and sat by their side, waiting. Harold stood up to call the house from a payphone and keep the others updated about Roy's situation. The surgery would take some time, but at least he was in a hospital, where the doctors could take care of him.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**February 4****th****, 1918 **

After spending more than a week in the hospital, Roy was finally discharged. He had been operated on, due to a ruptured splenic artery that had caused internal hemorrhage. When Harold opened the car door that morning, Aidan came quickly to help him get the General on his wheelchair. Roy had a broken leg and was still weak after the surgery, so walking was difficult for him. Despite all his injuries, Riza was very glad to have him back at home.

"Is it true that you don't remember the accident?" Aidan asked Roy casually, once the man was inside the house, with Riza pushing his wheelchair.

"Yes, the last thing I remember is having breakfast that day. Next thing I wake up in a hospital bed, and they tell me I had been operated on," Roy explained to the boy.

"But why can't you remember?" Aidan insisted.

"He hit his head," Hope joined the conversation.

"Yes, he was so confused he told the doctor he loved him," Harold said.

"What?" Roy asked very annoyed.

"Just kidding," Harold said, and Aidan laughed.

"He _is_ kidding, right?" Roy asked Riza, who was now sitting in the armchair by his side.

"He is, don't worry," she said, a content smile playing on her face.

Roy laughed and moved his right arm clumsily to place his hand on top of Riza's. He couldn't hold or squeeze her hand though, because his fingers didn't move well. His hand and wrist were still swollen and painful, although no bones had been fractured. After a few minutes chatting, Riza decided to take Roy to their bedroom so he could rest, and the others left to do their work. The moment the Lieutenant closed the door, Roy took on a serious tone.

"Did I say anything that might compromise our disguise?" he asked her.

He couldn't remember all the things he had said or thought during the time he was confused due to the head trauma, especially on the first day. Riza sat on the bed, quiet for a moment.

"I'm not sure, Roy. You were alone with Harold and Victoria when we arrived there. The doctor mentioned that you were saying things which didn't make much sense."

Roy noticed she seemed worried about it. He voiced out an ashamed apology, but Riza was quick to say it wasn't his fault. However, he just kept staring absentmindedly at the wooden floor.

Roy knew how lucky he was to still be in the living world. And if it hadn't been for Victoria, who had paid the expensive hospital bills, he would have died. Riza helped him lie down on the bed and pulled the blankets to cover him carefully.

"I'm sorry for giving you this much trouble," the Brigadier General mumbled, feeling useless, as he couldn't even stand up on his own.

"Stop apologizing already. You talk like you have a choice in the matter. It's not your fault."

"I feel like an old man."

Riza sighed, wondering about when he would get over all those depressing feelings. First the respiratory problems had gotten him worried about his health, and now the terrible injuries from the accident prevented him from doing anything. She placed a kiss on his forehead and sat by his side on the bed.

"For an old man, you still have a nice body," she joked.

"Yeah, well… There has to be at least one good reason for you not to run away from me, right?"

"Just one?"

"Maybe more, who knows," Roy said mischievously, leaning a little to the side and kissing Riza's lips. "You know, I was thinking…"

"No, Roy. You just got out of the hospital," Riza said, like she had read his mind automatically.

"You can stay on t-" he still insisted.

"You're all stitched up. No."

Knowing that it wouldn't make any difference if he insisted, Roy sank on the bed, frustrated.

"Do you have to go back to work right now?" he asked.

"No. I can stay here with you."

"That's good."

Riza rested her head on Roy's shoulder, slipping her legs under the blankets as well. There were actually lots of things to be done in the house. However, now that she finally had Roy by her side again, the housework would have to wait.

That evening, after everyone had had dinner, Victoria asked Roy and Riza to meet her in the dining room. She would have preferred to talk to them in her office, but Roy couldn't walk upstairs. When the writer closed the door and gave them a stern look, both soldiers knew Roy had said something he shouldn't.

"Have a seat, please," Victoria asked.

Riza did as she was told, and Roy moved a little on his wheelchair, feeling uncomfortable. They both faced the writer, like expecting a sentence from a judge in a court of law.

"When you first came to this house, you said you worked together in an office, is that right?" Victoria inquired, adjusting her glasses.

"Yes, that's correct," Roy answered plainly.

"When you were in hospital, you mentioned the war in Ishbal. You said you were a Colonel. The doctor didn't take you seriously as he obviously knew nothing about geography, but I know you didn't invent that."

Victoria's tone of voice wasn't angry or accusing. In fact, it was hard to understand how she felt about all that. She was just telling them facts, like a broadcaster of the radio news. Riza uncrossed her legs and stared quietly at her boss, as if asking what she wanted them to do. Roy didn't say anything either, so Victoria went on.

"I know that you were forced to come to Aerugo, but I believe that after paying for Mr. Hawkeye's hospital bills, I am entitled to the truth. Why did you two have to leave your country?"

The dark-haired woman was right. They knew she had saved Roy's life and now the truth seemed like a fair price for it. Roy glanced at Riza for a moment, before he looked back at Victoria's forthright eyes.

"We are both soldiers. We were ordered to leave the country by the Fuhrer himself."

Mrs. Wilkinson said nothing nor moved. She just listened to their story with attention, as they told her how they had run from Amestris after an execution order for Roy had been issued.

"What is your rank then, Mr. Hawkeye? Is that even your name? Roy Hawkeye?" the lady insisted.

"I'm Brigadier General Roy Mustang, Mrs. Wilkinson. I took the First Lieutenant's surname."

"But you _are_ married."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Riza decided to answer that question. "Not officially."

"Roy Mustang… Weren't you the one who lifted the barricade around Ishbal and built the roads to Xing?" Victoria asked, creasing her eyebrows as though she was making an effort to remember something she had heard or read a long time ago.

He confirmed it and Victoria sighed, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "I see. Dear Lord, I thought stories as this one could only happen in books…"

"Mrs. Wilkinson, I'm truly sorry that we had to lie to you," Riza said, her face giving away her honest feelings of guilt.

"Well, you would have to be stupid to tell the truth to someone you didn't know, considering the circumstances. There's something else I need to ask you," Victoria said. "Do you plan on going back to your country?"

"There will be a time when we will both be called back," Roy said, not letting any emotions show. Victoria was quick to understand his concern.

"I suppose the less I know about it, the better."

"I'm afraid so."

"I hope you being here won't pose any threats to my family."

Fortunately, very few people knew of their whereabouts, and the people who wanted Roy dead weren't included. After hearing that, Victoria seemed much more at ease.

"That will be all. I shall keep calling you Mr. Hawkeye," Mrs. Wilkinson concluded, standing up.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**March 3****rd****, 1918 **

Time had flown by and spring was coming soon. The weather was getting warmer, so there was a lot to be done in the yard. Roy had decided to work outside that morning, and the idea really made him feel glad. Using a cane to support part of his weight, as his leg hadn't healed completely yet, he was going to place some wires around an area of the garden. This way he could prevent animals from stealing the vegetables he had to plant. He had recovered the movement of his hand and fingers, and the surgery incision had become nothing but a big scar, but his leg still wasn't the same.

Working with tools and doing some exercise after such a long time only reading and resting was like a reward for his patience. The cold breeze blew at him, but he didn't feel cold since the sun was shining. The weather was just perfect that day.

"Don't overdo it, okay?" Riza came a few minutes later and stopped at the door, watching Roy's contentment as he got his hands dirty working again.

"I won't, don't worry," he answered, as she walked out of the house and sat on the doorsteps to rest for a moment.

Roy heard a noise and looked somewhere around the corner of the house. Riza watched with curiosity as Aidan jumped from behind a pile of logs with a stick in his hand, pointed at Roy like it was a gun.

"I'm an evil bandit! I want your money!" the boy yelled happily and made a sound like he was firing his imaginary gun.

"You forgot I'm armed," Roy said in a good mood, pointing a hammer at him like a gun as well.

Aidan made another loud shooting sound with his mouth and fell to the ground dramatically. "Oh, you killed me!" he added.

"Are you playing a game?" Riza asked, and Roy could see she was finding it very funny, to see him playing pretend with a child.

"I'm a bandit. He's a policeman," Aidan explained.

"He didn't really give me a choice," Roy said, putting the hammer back in the tool box.

Aidan laughed and helped Roy pick up the rest of the tools. The General sat on the step by Riza's side, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer, as they watched Aidan. The boy had now crouched and started drawing on the dirt with his fingers. Riza placed a hand on Roy's knee and caressed it lightly, asking about his leg.

"Why don't you have any kids?" Aidan asked out of the blue, bringing them back to reality.

Roy and Riza stared at each other, as asking which of them should answer that question.

"Perhaps it's not the best time to have children yet," Roy said, although not thinking much about the matter.

"Wouldn't you like to have children? Because I think your children would be very lucky," Aidan said with the innocence that only a child could have.

Roy couldn't resist asking why they'd be lucky. The child's logic was simple most of the time, but he often came up with curious ideas that the adults couldn't even imagine where he might have gotten them from.

"Because they would have cool parents who love each other. My parents don't love each other, and they aren't cool. They didn't even want me," Aidan said with a normal tone, as if he was talking about ordinary facts that were known to everybody. He had no idea that he made adults uncomfortable when he showed how aware he was of the circumstances that had led to his birth.

Roy and Riza were relieved when Hope called Aidan and the boy dashed inside. None of them knew exactly what to say after such a cold statement coming from a nine-year-old. They just sat there, silently thinking about the kid's question for a few moments, until Harold showed up at the window.

"Hey, Roy! There's a gentleman at the front door selling tools."

"Thanks, Harold, but I don't need any," Roy replied, stretching his neck back to look at the old man.

"He's very insistent, that salesman. Said he won't go without showing you what he's got," Harold explained in a good-mood. "He's traveled a lot in the last few days, why don't you just come take a look?"

That said, Harold disappeared inside, leaving them there. Roy didn't move from the place he was sitting. He was more interested in his conversation with Riza.

"Have you ever thought about… you know… kids?" he asked hesitatingly, staring at some place ahead.

"Before I joined the army I used to think about it," Riza replied, unintentionally wallowing in the memories of a time that would never come back.

It was sad how they both had put their lives on hold because of their military duties. It was a common thing amongst soldiers, though. Their work took most of their time and got them so physically and emotionally exhausted that there was little energy left for other things.

"Hey, Roy!" Harold called again from the window.

"What?" the soldier said, making an effort not to sound as annoyed as he actually felt.

"The salesman won't leave. He wants to show his tools to all the working men in the house."

"I don't need tools!" Roy replied impatiently.

"He won't leave… He's a pain in the ass, describing the tools he sells like he's a walking dictionary," the old man complained. "I can't get rid of him."

"Fine… I'll go tell him where he can shove those tools," Roy mumbled and stood up with the help of his cane.

Riza stood up as well and followed him inside to go back to work. Roy limped his way to the main entrance, ready to tell the salesman he didn't want to buy any junk he could be selling. The door was half-open and only Hope watched it from the stairs, to be sure the stranger wouldn't walk in unnoticed. She disappeared upstairs once Roy finally made it to the door and pulled it completely open.

"Good morning," the thin grey-haired man greeted him, taking off his hat. That was the last face Roy could expect to see.

"Falman?" the General asked in a whisper, so surprised that his voice sounded slightly high-pitched.

"It's good to see you again, Sir," the man said with a shadow of a smile and a tired expression. Only then his eyes turned to the cane Roy was using. "What happened to you?"

Roy didn't need more than a couple of minutes to explain about the accident in the factory. He took a wrench from Falman's suitcase and pretended to examine it, as Falman listened to him with a worried expression. Every now and then Roy shot a glance inside, to be sure nobody was eavesdropping. He wished Riza could come out to join them, but that would get the rest of the staff curious.

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that, sir," Falman said as Roy finished his quick description of the accident and his injuries.

"It doesn't matter. I'm alive and I can still walk; that's good enough. But how are the others?" Roy asked, changing the topic. "How are you? Why are you here in Aerugo now?"

Roy couldn't hold back his anxiety after spending such a long time in the dark. Falman seemed to notice his agitation, as he laughed a little and rubbed his own head.

"Masheck, your informant, was killed. That's why I'm here. I'm doing all right, although I've been selling tools from door-to-door throughout the city for almost a month. You have no idea how glad I am to have finally found you."

Masheck had been very unspecific about any information regarding Roy and Riza's location, in case his messages were intercepted.

"Masheck died? When?" Roy asked worriedly.

"Around the end of December. We don't know the exact day, because the last time he contacted us was on December second."

"But then… how did you know I was here and not at the factory?" Roy asked.

"Masheck informed us that you weren't working at the factory anymore. I thought you had gotten a job here."

"I took a couple of weeks off at that time of because I was sick, but I had to go back to the factory. Then we had the accident there, so I'm staying here now," Roy said.

"So you won't go back to the factory."

"No, I don't think so."

"That's good."

"And what about the others, how are they?" Roy barely let Falman finish his sentence. The Brigadier General didn't care if he looked extremely uncool or desperate by doing so. He was just craving information.

"I talked to Breda a couple of months ago. He's been working undercover with the Nymbean soldiers. Havoc apparently joined the rebellion and was arrested, but Breda set him free."

"Breda? What the he- Wait, and what about Fuery?"

Falman sighed, taking on a sad expression as he told Roy about Fuery's disappearance. That had been quite a blow to all of them.

"Could he have joined some rebel group?" the shorter soldier asked, eyes pleading for an affirmative answer.

"I doubt it. We found blood on the floor at the entrance of his building."

Both of them were silent for a few moments. Considering all that, Roy didn't think he was very likely to see his Sergeant again.

"Shit. He could have gone out to take Riza's dog for a walk and someone got him. Was there much blood?"

"No. We think he was taken alive. To be questioned, probably."

"Shit, shit, shit…" Roy raised his head and rubbed his face repeatedly, thinking.

"When I become Fuhrer, I'll promote him and we'll hold a proper…ceremony," he said, feeling sick just to think about it. "Shit…"

The images of a funeral crossed his mind and he tried to shake them away. Another funeral. He had been to more than he could remember already, and now there would probably be many more. And for that one they wouldn't even have a body to bury. Roy couldn't help thinking that perhaps he should have stayed and fought with his comrades. This was a thought that always bothered him. What if he had stayed? Would it have made a difference?

"Damn it, Falman. Please tell me you're here to take me back. I can't wait to burn those bastards."

For the first time since Falman had arrived, Roy noticed a real smile on the older man's face; the kind of smile of somebody who trusted him and was relieved to fight by his side again.

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**A/N: **YAY! Roy is alive and Falman is back! And I have to go to work! ARGH! Well, thanks a lot for reading! If you have the time, please leave a review! See you next Friday!


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA.

I want to say a big thank you to Aieika, lecchan, Hina Kita, TheSoundofYourVoice, Toushirou-chan, ssadropout, theherbflower, KageNoNeko, Guns and Swords and Balthasar for your great reviews!

I also want to say a big thank to ssadropout for your awesome work beta-reading this story!

* * *

**Chapter 15 – An Unexpected Gathering **

**March 3****rd****, 1918**

It took Roy some time to finally come back inside, so everybody was curious if he had bought anything. Roy showed them a screwdriver Falman had given to him, saying that he had paid a cheap price for it. Riza stared incredulously at him, but he soon managed to take her to their bedroom where they could talk.

"Why did you buy that?" she asked.

After all, they didn't have much money to spend, and Roy didn't need a screwdriver. He could use Harold's tools any time he liked.

"I didn't buy it, the salesman was Falman."

"What?"

"Falman. He said Masheck got killed and he took his place."

"Falman was here? Are we going back?" Riza asked, more interested in the fact that Falman had come than in Masheck's death.

"Not now. We're waiting for some escorts the S.I.F. is going to send soon. People we can trust, according to them. Then we'll have to get back to Amestris. Fuhrer Grumman is dying," Mustang announced with a sad tone.

Although he wanted to be Fuhrer, Roy couldn't hide the fact that Grumman's death would upset him, and Riza was also shaken by the news. The time to act was close. Other agents would come to help protect them on their trip back. Not even Falman knew who they were, but he believed them to be people they knew personally. However, he doubted that they had gotten specific information about their location. The poor agents would probably have to either look for Roy in every house around like Falman had done, or look for his name in the registers from the refugee camp.

Falman had had more time to spend, so he had opted for knocking on door to door, searching for Mustang without calling anyone's attention. However, in his safer search, Falman had spent a lot of time, something they were running out of. Although risky, the other agents would probably need to check the registers and come soon.

"Did you tell Falman about us?" Riza asked, feeling uneasy. She was afraid that they had made things more complicated by getting involved with each other.

"I did. He wasn't surprised, though. He said he doesn't think it will be a problem. They need a leader and Nymbe has already appointed one."

The situation had grown a lot more tense in Amestris now that Grumman was about to die. Nymbe had announced that as soon as Grumman passed away, one of their generals would take over and become Amestris' Fuhrer. The population didn't seem to like the idea, and there was a lot of disagreement in the army about what they should do next.

Roy told Riza about the rest of his conversation with Falman, and they were both quiet for a few moments after Riza heard about Fuery's situation. She just hoped he hadn't been tortured.

"I can't believe it. We saw so many people die before, but we can never get used to it. Damn it, not Fuery…"

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .

**April 6****th****, 1918 **

More than a month had passed after Falman had finally found where Mustang and Hawkeye were staying, when two men stepped into the steel mill, tired from the long walk along the railway.

"Are you sure this is the right factory?" Havoc asked his friend.

"It should be," Fuery answered.

"Let's hope so," Havoc said and yawned, stretching his arms and looking around the old dingy building.

The agent who had made contact with Mustang, whoever he was, hadn't informed the Secret Intelligence Force where exactly the Brigadier General was now. Havoc and Fuery only knew that it had taken the man a long time to find Mustang. However, they didn't have enough time to spend looking for him in every house in Kratovy, so they had searched the registers in the Galva Camp. Only when they had looked for Hawkeye did they find both Roy and Riza. It was typical of the Flame Alchemist, to leave clues that only his close subordinates would understand.

"I can't imagine Mustang working here," Havoc said to Fuery when they walked into the main building. "If he is still here, of course. He might still be staying at this house where Hawkeye is working."

Havoc and Fuery took a look around the building. The place was full of muscular men with beards and tattoos. Very few of them were clean-shaven and many had rather ugly haircuts. They all wore dirty old clothes and worked non-stop, sweating, panting, and coughing.

"Looking for a job, ladies?" a dark-skinned guy with greasy long hair came to talk to them.

"No, we're actually looking for a man who works here," Fuery replied politely.

"Plenty of men working here. You his bastard kid or what?"

"We're just frie-" Fuery tried to explain, before Havoc interrupted him.

"Look, we're looking for Roy Hawkeye, does he work here or not?" Havoc said impatiently.

"You have to talk to the chief of production. I'm not good with names. Look for a short fatso wearing a horrible red jacket."

The guy walked away, and Fuery and Havoc went to look for the man. They asked some other workers and finally someone took them to the chief's office, at the other end of the main building. The short man in the red jacket laid his calculator on his desk and took off his glasses to look at them.

"Whaddya want?" he asked irritably.

"We need to talk to a man who works here."

"I'm busy."

Fuery was going to insist and hoped that they could convince the chief to help them by being polite, but Havoc had different tactics. He took his hand out of his pocket and put some money on the wooden desk.

"Still busy?"

"All right, who's the guy you're looking for?" the fat guy conceded, collecting the money quickly.

Havoc smirked at Fuery and turned back to the chief, spelling Roy's name and fake surname. The chief got some payment registers from the bookcase, saying he needed them to find in which part of the mill he worked. After a few minutes digging through some not-so-well-kept books of account, he finally found the name they wanted.

"Yup, found him."

Fuery and Havoc had to make an effort to keep their serious faces. They both just wanted to laugh loudly and shout. They had finally found him.

"Man, I'm gonna punch him when we see him," Havoc told Fuery, who honestly hoped his friend was joking.

"Wait a minute. He used to work in the sinter plant. The last payment register I have from him was two days before the accident," the chief said, licking his lips.

"Accident?"

For a moment, Havoc held his breath, and Fuery had his hands fidgeting nervously inside his pockets. They listened attentively to the short man, as he told them about the blast furnace explosion that had caused the roof to collapse, killing 21 employees.

"I'll go talk to the guys, but it says here Roy hasn't worked since."

"Don't you have records of the people who died?" Fuery asked, very disturbed.

"And keep evidence so the government comes to sue our asses? Forget it," the chief said with sarcasm. "I'll talk to Jay, he's the one in charge of the sinter plant."

Jay was the exact opposite of the chief of production. He was thin, tall and had much better taste in clothing. He talked in a casual tone, curious about the situation.

"Roy? Oh, wasn't he the one whose wife worked in a house? He used to go there every night to have dinner and get cleaned. That made the other guys pissed."

"Was he hurt in the accident?"

"Didn't he die?" Jay asked his boss.

"I think so, I don't have any more records about him," the man shrugged.

Jay decided to ask someone else and came back a few minutes later. He found Havoc and Fuery both very nervous and pacing from side to side, eyes on the floor, anxiety clear on their faces.

"Dead. Sorry. Larry said he had some internal bleeding when they got him out. You can talk to the wife, though. Take the suitcase he left here. There's only a couple of shirts in it, but the guys didn't touch it."

Jay couldn't help noticing that when he handed the suitcase to the shorter of the two men, the guy grabbed it with shaky hands.

"Was he close to you?"

Havoc nodded in silence, and Fuery didn't answer. They left the building with feelings of despair and started walking back to the city slowly and absentmindedly. They couldn't believe it. Their minds still couldn't process that information. When they had finally found him! And this was no way to die. Not for a military man, a Brigadier General, not for anybody.

Havoc fumbled in his backpack and got a cigarette and a lighter.

"I thought you were trying to quit," Fuery mentioned.

"I was."

Kain didn't protest. In another situation he would have told his friend to be stronger and refrain from smoking, but he couldn't find the strength to complain now.

"Fuck."

"Are we going to talk to Lieutenant Hawkeye?" Fuery asked without looking at Jean.

"We should. Damn, she must be devastated," Havoc said, now feeling his stomach drop at the thought. She would be depressed, grieving his death, and he didn't want to see her like that at all. Roy was very special to her as she was to him, they all knew.

Despite the long way back to the city, they walked slowly because neither of them was looking forward to meeting Riza in that situation. Havoc blew some smoke in the air, feeling his eyes watering. He could blame the smoke and the wind for it, but instead, he risked a glance at the Sergeant. Tears were streaming down the lad's face, which didn't surprise Jean.

"He would have changed the country," Havoc observed, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his jacket.

"He would," Fuery answered in agreement.

The time passed quickly since they were both lost in the depths of their thoughts, remembering the old times, when they all worked together in the office in East City, then in Central. The overtime, the reports, the jokes, drinking at the bar later at night, competing to see who could get the girls. Mustang always won. He always had the girls' attention all to himself.

Fuery studied the map of the city center he himself had drawn and located the street where Victoria Wilkinson's house was. They headed that way, with hands shoved in their pockets and their minds miles away. Few people were on the street due to the cloudy weather. Even though it looked like it was going to rain, some women were going to the park with their children, other kids were playing in the yards, and a man was walking calmly on the sidewalk, carrying a long-handled hoe on his shoulder and going home after working in the yards of a couple of houses on that street. One wouldn't get much money by doing so, but it was a job, nonetheless.

"What are we going to tell her?" Fuery asked Havoc, as he walked around the man with the hoe, who walked slowly, limping a little.

Roy thought that it could only be his imagination, but when he turned to the left, he immediately recognized the short man by his side, all dressed up for the chilly weather. However, he hadn't noticed the tall man walking around him by his right side. When the Brigadier General turned to look at Fuery, the long gardening tool he was carrying turned with him and accidentally hit Havoc on the shoulder.

"Watch it, man!" Havoc yelled, but his voice died out, and he stared mutedly at the guy in front of him.

"Havoc?" Roy asked more than surprised, then turned to the Sergeant again. "Fuery? I thought yo-"

"You're alive!" Havoc and Fuery yelled at the same time with great enthusiasm.

Roy laughed, feeling very happy to see his subordinates again, especially Fuery, whom he had believed to be dead. The Brigadier General didn't have time to ask them what they were doing there though, because Havoc took him in a headlock, making him drop the hoe.

"Let go of me!" Roy yelled as the Lieutenant rubbed his knuckles against the top of his head, laughing boisterously.

"We thought you were dead," Havoc said happily, still not letting him go. "You left us behind; we came to bring your sorry ass back; and they told us you had died in an accident."

Havoc finally let go of Mustang, who turned around - his hair now a complete mess - to talk to the Sergeant. However, before he had the time to say anything, the other gave him a rib-breaking hug.

"The hell?" Roy complained. "Let go!"

"I'm sorry." Fuery said, taking a step back, still smiling. "We thought we wouldn't see you again."

Roy looked at the shorter soldier in surprise, as he could swear the other had tears in his eyes.

"Why the hell are you crying? You two are really overreacting. Will you both stop it now?" he complained, staring at his subordinates.

"Oh, shut up man…" Havoc said laughing. "You're lucky my good mood now is enough to stop me from punching you."

Roy straightened his jacket, still finding it very awkward to see two of his most loyal subordinates standing right there in front of him, eyes wet with tears of happiness.

"I didn't want to leave. I hope you know that," Roy said. "Fuhrer Grumman ordered me to leave. Damn… I was jealous of you. You had no idea how much I wanted to stay and fight."

Havoc and Fuery were quiet for a moment, feeling embarrassed.

"Yeah… We know you wouldn't just abandon us," Havoc said without much confidence. He should have known better and now felt stupid. Mustang wouldn't simply leave them behind to save himself. He had never done that.

"So I suppose you are the escorts Falman was talking about," the Brigadier General continued.

"Falman? Falman died months ago, sir," Havoc said, taking on an upset tone.

"What do you mean 'died months ago'? I talked to him about a month ago."

"Falman is alive too?" Kain chirped with excitement. "Wait, is he the informant who replaced Masheck?"

"Yes," Mustang replied, surprised that the others didn't know about it.

Havoc and Fuery erupted in laughter, as celebrating the good news. Their excitement was so contagious that even Roy started laughing, relieved that his subordinates were safe and sound.

Victoria Wilkinson's house was silent on that day, something that only happened on Sundays, when the family and the staff put on their good clothes and went to church to attend the Sunday service. Roy and Riza didn't profess to any specific religion and Victoria respected their individuality, something they deeply appreciated. She had never required them to go to church with them.

Roy found the fact that only Riza would be at home now very convenient. They could go get her and leave for some other place to talk. The Brigadier General unlocked the back door and they all walked in, Fuery and Havoc looking around, slightly impressed. The house was big and the owners were sure wealthy, but they didn't expect the staff area to be so fancy and welcoming.

"Nice place," Havoc said, turning to the wall mirror framed in wood with small details carved into it. "By the way, where's the bathroom?"

"It's at the end of that corridor," Roy said, pointing at a door to their right and trying to lock the entrance door from the inside again. However, that lock was a little troublesome.

Riza finished sweeping the floor in her bedroom. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon now, and it would be another hour and a half before the others came back from the church. As it wasn't so cold anymore, she took off her coat, and when she walked to the door, she heard Roy's voice coming from the staff entrance.

"I hate this lock. Some day I'm going to burn this thing," he complained loudly.

"_Again with the lock… When will he learn?_" she thought, smiling a little.

She heard heavy steps and opened the door. The corridor was completely dark as it had no windows, but she was now used to it. She didn't need any light to remember where that cracked wooden board that they all avoided to step on was, or where the wallpaper was coming off. She smiled at the barely distinguishable shape of a man walking towards her and as he stopped in the middle of the corridor, she came closer to greet him.

"You came home early," she whispered playfully.

"Whaaat?" the man squealed and jumped at her touch.

Riza immediately stepped back, not recognizing the owner of that sheepish voice and now noticing he was too tall to be Roy.

"Who…"

The man walked backwards to the entrance hall, still staring at her, although it was impossible for Riza to make out his face until he finally stepped into the light.

"Havoc?" she asked, incredulously.

Even though she would never have expected him to be there, nobody could possibly be more shocked than Havoc himself at the moment.

"What on earth was that?" the man asked, still keeping a safe distance from her.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't…" Riza started to explain, also walking into the entrance hall. She then saw Roy in front of the door and Fuery by his side, both looking quizzically at the two blond soldiers there.

"Just hurry up Havoc, we haven't got all day," Roy ordered.

"Excuse me… Bathroom?" Havoc asked, his face now turning different shades of red.

"This way," Riza said, pointing at the corridor where they had accidentally met and stepping to the side so he could pass.

Once she had recovered from the unexpected surprise, Riza came to greet Fuery, who smiled widely at her.

"You're alive… We were so worried that something bad might have happened to you," she said, as the lad abandoned formalities and gave her a hug.

"What just happened there?" Roy asked. "Did Havoc scare you?"

"We… met in the corridor," she answered slightly embarrassed, and Roy noticed that she was blushing a little, something she rarely did.

They heard the toilet being flushed and the noise of water coming from the faucet. A few seconds later Jean came out with his hands still a bit wet and walked back to the entrance hall.

"Havoc, I'm really sorry about that," Riza apologized again.

"You mistook me for somebody else, I believe?" the blond man asked, sure that this was the only plausible explanation. Either that or she had gone mad.

"I thought you were Roy."

"Roy?" Jean said, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, I get it…"

The tall Lieutenant took on a mischievous expression, as if he was pleased to have finally understood what was going on. Mustang crossed his arms and his shoulders shook a few times, as he was trying hard to restrain himself from bursting out in laughter.

Fuery still looked from Roy to Jean, very confused.

"Hawkeye," Havoc started to say, doing his best to sound serious, "we haven't seen each other for quite a long time, and I wouldn't mind a hug, but my butt is off-limits, okay?"

"What did you do? Did you pinch his butt?" Roy asked, barely able to control himself now.

"It was dark in the corridor and I heard your voice. How could I possibly know that the two of them were here?" she asked in a defensive manner.

Finally the three men couldn't hold it anymore. They all burst out in laughter; whereas Riza still seemed too embarrassed to think the situation was funny at all. Even Fuery, who tended to avoid laughing when he thought it might upset other people, couldn't help it.

"Oh, come on. You have to admit that was funny," the Brigadier General said after a while, still trying to catch his breath.

"So let me just ask you something," Havoc began saying, trying to catch his breath. "How long have you two been together?"

"Not long… A little over four months now," Roy said and looked at Riza, who confirmed it.

Kain and Jean smiled at the news, truly happy for the couple. Roy and Riza together was no surprise, but it was definitely something to celebrate.

"Wow, this is going to be some story to tell the others," Havoc observed.

Riza shot an angry look at him, one that made it clear she didn't want him to share that incident with other people.

"Sorry… It's too funny a story to keep between us," Jean continued, still chuckling.

"Well, let's find a place where we can talk," Roy said, calling their attention. "Mrs. Wilkinson is very nice and all, but we shouldn't push our luck."

Feeling a lot more light-hearted now, they all agreed. They would have a lot to talk about.

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**A/N: **Hello everybody! I hope I made you laugh in this chapter. After all the tragedy and bad stuff that's going on, it's good to laugh a little. This is my favorite chapter in the story. If you liked it, please leave a review. If you didn't, leave a review anyway, and tell me what you think could have been better written. Thanks a lot to everyone who's reading!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA. I'm still trying to get my soul back. My boss has it locked in a safe in her office.

I want to say thank you to lecchan, Toushirou-chan, StarCatcher1858, Fabi Washu, ssadropout, Hina Kita, Hiezen Uchiha, Aieika, Cantata Blue, Hollowmist, CmonNow, KageNoNeko, LilDemonWarrior, AvengingAngel and Jaden for your great reviews! You guys are awesome!

I also want to say a big thank you to ssadropout, who's been doing a fantastic work, beta-reading this story.

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**Chapter 16 - Farewell**

**April 6****th****, 1918 **

The grandfather clock made a loud '_dong_' in the other room, indicating that it was finally 7 o'clock in the evening. It was already dark outside, but the thick walls of the house protected everyone from the rain. Fuery, Falman and Havoc were standing near the couches in the back hall, where Hope, Harold, and Nancy were waiting for Roy and Riza. Harold shot an uncertain look at the three strangers then looked away again with a sigh. The disciplined way the three gentlemen were just standing there, not talking to each other, made the old man think they looked a lot like military personnel.

"You are here to arrest them for running away from Amestris, aren't you?" Harold asked in an unfriendly tone. "You're soldiers."

The silence was slightly disturbed by a low noise coming from the corridor, but nobody seemed to notice Aidan, who had been hiding there to hear their talk for some time.

"We're soldiers," Falman answered, "but we're not here to arrest them."

Before they had the chance to explain themselves in a better way, steps were heard coming down the stairs. Roy, Riza and Victoria entered the room.

"I believe it's time we told you who we really are," Roy announced, after the three of them sat down.

Harold, Hope and Nancy all stared at each other and then turned to them again, very confused. Sitting by Roy's side, Riza felt very uncomfortable at the way everyone looked at them. Telling Victoria the truth had been difficult, but telling the others would be a lot worse.

"Should we wait outside, boss?" Havoc asked, somehow finding relief in being able to call someone 'boss' again.

"No, you can stay," Roy said. After all, they could confirm their story, which might be a little hard to believe.

"Boss?" Hope asked, looking at Havoc then turning back to the couple she had believed to already know well. Riza thought that she looked hurt now that she was aware that they were hiding something from them.

Aidan sat down on the wooden floor of the corridor, making himself comfortable so as to stay there for longer. The adults were speaking in low voices, which meant he sometimes had to hold his breath in order to hear them. Maybe he would have held his breath even if he didn't need to, so impressed he was.

"Brigadier General and First Lieutenant?" Hope's loud voice filled the room.

"I'm sorry we kept the truth from you," Riza said in a much lower voice, that Aidan could barely hear.

"Due to the circumstances, we couldn't let anyone know," Roy's deep voice followed, and Aidan held his knees, feeling sadness take control of him. When adults gathered to talk about something and didn't let children join them, it never meant anything good.

Havoc rolled his shoulders once and kept his straight posture. By his side, Fuery and Falman didn't move. They saw Nancy open her mouth to speak but stop, still open-mouthed. Hope and Harold also had very surprised expressions, like they had just heard of a big scandal.

"You're not even married? You lied about being married?"

"We are together, but we're not officially married," Roy added, hoping that it would be enough for them to calm down. He honestly wished they wouldn't make such a fuss out of it. However, the three of them were more worried about other things.

"Are you going back to your country?" Nancy asked, staring at the three soldiers who had been standing there like statues the whole time.

"We came here to hide until it was time for us to join the fight once more," Roy explained.

"So you never intended to stay for long," Hope said, feeling betrayed.

They had all shared some good and bad moments, and she considered them close friends. Hope always liked to think she knew people well, but this time she had been completely fooled.

"I'm sorry," Riza told her. "We both feel bad about it."

"What else did you lie about?" Harold asked Roy.

"We only lied when we couldn't tell you the truth. I hope we can still be friends, despite all this."

"Are we friends for real or is it some lie as well?"

"Harold!" Hope scolded.

"We wouldn't need to make friends to protect our identities," Roy said plainly.

"But is it safe to go back now?" Hope asked. "I mean, I thought that Nymbe had designated someone to become the president after the Fuhrer died."

"They did, but we won't allow it," Roy said with confidence Hope, Harold or Nancy had never heard from him.

For a moment, no one noticed the short kid in front of them. Aidan stepped into the hall and walked towards the soldiers, anger and sadness taking control of him.

"You didn't even ask if they _want_ to come back!" he yelled at Falman, who was closer to him.

Only then the adults realized he had been listening to them all along, but it was already too late.

"Aidan, we want to go back, Amestris is our home," Riza told him.

"You should be in your bedroom," Victoria spoke for the first time in the last few minutes.

"Grandma, tell them to stay! It's dangerous! The war is dangerous! Roy hasn't even recovered completely, he still limps!" Aidan pleaded, eyes now wet with tears.

"You know I can't order them to stay," she said with a sigh that showed she would rather they stayed, although she couldn't do anything about it.

"But it's dangerous!" Aidan said again, distress clear in his voice. He couldn't understand how the adults could face certain situations even though they knew how dangerous they were. It would be more logical to keep away from the peril, but they were heading straight to it.

"Listen buddy," Roy called him, and Aidan suddenly remembered that he was a General. Not the humble factory worker who wore shabby clothes, but a General.

"Yes, sir," he replied hesitatingly.

"Sir? You don't have to call me that. I'm still Roy, all right?" he said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. Aidan was quiet for a second, before he mumbled something that sounded like an affirmative answer.

"It's dangerous, you're right," Roy continued. "I can't promise you we will be all right, but we have to fight. We are soldiers. That's what we do."

There was a moment of silence, and then Aidan suddenly dashed to the main hall and upstairs. The familiar sound of his door being slammed shook the walls of the entire house.

"Maybe I should talk to him," Riza said.

"There's not much to talk about. We can't protect him from reality," Roy replied with a shrug.

"He's not Edward, Roy."

Riza had always disliked the way Roy treated Edward, but as his subordinate, she had refrained from saying much. After all, joining the military Edward had been treated like an adult by most people, and there was no point in telling her superior that he was a kid, not a soldier, regardless of his alchemic abilities and rank. However, Riza wouldn't keep quiet and let Roy be reckless with other people's feelings again.

The Brigadier General blinked twice and kept staring at her, trying to make sense of the comment. Now thinking about it, Edward was only slightly older than Aidan when Roy had met him for the first time. Roy had never seen a boy in Edward. He had seen the brilliant mind of a young alchemist, a prodigy. Nonetheless, Ed was a boy who had lost his mother twice, along with part of his body, and who had almost caused his own brother to vanish from this world. Such a burden on the shoulders of a boy only two years older than the dark-haired child who had just run upstairs crying. Mustang could now understand why Riza disapproved the way he treated him. Not that he could have done anything different at the time. Reality had hit Edward before he was old enough to deal with it and made him grow up long before his time.

"You're right," Roy admitted, inhaling deeply and placing his hand on top of hers. "We'll talk to him."

"You need to understand that Aidan has a significant connection with the two of you," Victoria said, looking over her half-moon glasses. "It won't be easy for him. General or not, to him you're still the gentleman who took him to the boxing match and allowed him to sit on his shoulders to have a better view of the fight. That's something his own father wouldn't do. I believe I don't have to enlighten you about how much that, among other things, meant to a nine-year-old boy."

Victoria's smart and self-assured way of speaking sometimes made other people timid. Roy had never had any problems with that. Until now. Suddenly, her eyes seemed to pierce right through him, analyzing, judging him for something stupid he had done.

"Are you leaving tonight?" Harold asked, changing the topic.

"Tomorrow morning." Riza answered.

They all nodded, and when Roy and Riza already thought they were all angry at them and would like them to get out of their sight as soon as possible, Hope stood up and allowed herself a smile.

"Well, let's prepare a nice dinner for you then. You'll have a long trip back home."

"Maybe we can help you pack? I believe you'll need some extra clothes, too," Harold added.

"I'll prepare some food for you to take with you," Nancy said, getting up as well and heading to the kitchen.

"We don't want to bother you," Riza said, almost apologizing in advance for all the trouble.

"Nonsense," Hope said with her usual laugh.

In less than a minute, everyone left to take care of things. Roy and Riza were in mute surprise, until Havoc decided to say, "Seems like you made some good friends here."

And as good friends, they had all forgiven them for their lies much quicker than Roy and Riza had expected them to.

**April 7****th****, 1918**

The hours passed quickly and before dawn on the next day, the soldiers were almost ready to leave. Fuery and Falman were studying a map, and Havoc was keeping watch. Harold was getting dressed to drive them to the train station, and Hope and Nancy were packing some food for their trip. When Roy and Riza brought their suitcases to the hall, they found Aidan sitting there alone, legs moving back and forth repeatedly in clear anxiety.

"I should talk to him," Roy whispered to Riza, who agreed immediately, but gave him a stern look, as if telling him to choose his words carefully. Roy glanced at the boy, wondering about how a talk to a nine-year-old-boy could be so difficult.

He took a seat close to Aidan and sighed, thinking of how to start.

"You know why I became a soldier?" he asked the boy after some moments of silence.

"Because they called you?" Aidan's logic was pretty simple, but far from being right.

"No, I volunteered to be a soldier. They didn't require me to be one. I wanted to be a soldier to help protect the people. Protect the country."

"Have you ever killed anyone?" the boy asked coldly, not looking at him.

"Yes, I have. In war I killed many. I'm not proud of this," Roy admitted, not looking at Aidan.

"Then why are you going back?"

Roy spent a few moments thinking about his answer. How could he make a young child understand something so complex? He had to try to see the world from a boy's point of view. Not a world made of thousands of dull shades of grey, but a world made of a much smaller variety of much brighter colors.

"Aidan, where I live, there are other kids like you. They can't go to school because they're afraid of the enemy dropping bombs and killing them. When they sleep at night, they have nightmares with airplanes and enemy soldiers. Some kids even lost their parents; some were injured in the attacks. Families have been forced to run away and leave everything behind. People can't do what they want to do. They produce what they're told to produce and they can't choose how much they ask for what they sell. They pay lots of taxes and all this money goes to Nymbe. Amestris needs us. We need to change that."

Aidan kicked the air violently another three or four times and then finally stopped moving his legs. He stared at his own hands, rolled his thumbs and bit his lower lip. Roy could see the wheels turning inside the boy's head, but Aidan still didn't seem to be convinced.

"But it's dangerous. What if you die?" the boy insisted.

"We may die, but we'll do our best not to. You know the guys who arrived yesterday?"

"The two tall guys and the shortie?"

"Yes. They're my subordinates. They've worked with us for years, and we're good friends. They're here to help protect us. We'll be as safe as it is possible to be."

"But not completely safe."

"No. It's dangerous, like you said. But we have to do it. We can't let our friends fight alone, can we?"

"I guess not. But how can those guys protect you? One of them looks old, the other one looks like a high school student… Only one of them looks strong enough to protect you," Aidan protested, his voice becoming high-pitched, "and I'll bet that guy can't beat you in a fight."

"Havoc can't beat me?" Roy asked with a laugh. In Aidan's childish imagination, Roy was some kind of superhero since he had thrown Jasper out of the house.

"Okay, you're underestimating my subordinates," Roy continued. "We've fought together before. I've seen those guys stand up against enemies that would make anyone else piss their pants."

"You said 'piss'," Aidan said accusingly.

"Sorry. But you understand what I mean."

"Yeah," Aidan mumbled, moving closer and hugging Roy tight. "I wish my father was as cool as you. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, kiddo," Roy admitted, wrapping an arm around the child's shoulders as a kind of short weird hug, and then ruffling his hair with his hand a little. "If Riza and I have kids one day, I hope they'll be as cool as you," he told the boy.

Feeling that Aidan had understood the situation and didn't feel so hurt anymore, Roy stood up and went to the laundry room to get a couple of shirts that were still on the clothesline. Aidan stayed on the couch until he heard steps and Fuery entered the hall, with a map secured in his hands.

"How old are you?" Aidan asked the Sergeant, standing up and walking towards him.

Kain looked quizzically at the boy, who was scrutinizing him in a not very discreet way.

"Why?" he asked.

"You don't look any older than my friend Paul's older brother, and he's sixteen."

"I'm twenty-four," Fuery replied with a sheepish smile.

"Twenty-four? Right, and I'm the Tooth Fairy," Aidan said with all the sarcasm a little boy could muster.

"Tooth what?"

"You suck…"

Aidan turned around and walked away, leaving Fuery slightly disturbed at his lack of trust.

Less than half an hour later, the soldiers were ready to go. They were all dressed up for the cold weather, and despite the gloomy weather on that day, they were filled with hope for a better future for their country. It didn't matter where their home was, or how messed up it was. Going home was always going home.

"Be careful," Hope pleaded, giving Roy and Riza a hug. "We're gonna miss you two. This place is gonna be damn quiet."

"I'm sure Aidan will take care of that, right buddy?" Roy turned to the kid, who allowed himself a rare mischievous smile.

"Roy, if you ever come back or if we go to Amestris to visit you, can we go see another boxing match?" the boy asked.

"Of course. I'm sure there are some good boxers in Amestris as well, maybe you can come visit us there one day," Roy replied.

Aidan nodded and finally gave the two soldiers a hug. Nancy did the same and Victoria, who was completely dressed for the day despite the early hour, shook hands politely with her former employees.

The drizzle greeted them when they left the house. Their trip back would be tough, they knew it. At least this time they were together, like in the old times, and heading exactly where they wanted to head.

Harold opened the door of the car for them, and they all squeezed in. Havoc took the front seat and Roy convinced Riza to sit on his lap, since the back seat wasn't wide enough to accommodate four people.

"You all had better go on a diet!" Harold joked from the driver's seat.

"If Falman or Fuery got any thinner, they'd disappear," Havoc replied, making the gardener laugh.

"Ah… Too bad you didn't stay for long. I guess we all would have enjoyed many jokes," Harold said.

They were quiet most of the way to the train station, and when they arrived, the train was due in 10 minutes. They all got out of the car and Roy and Riza turned to Harold, aware that they didn't have much time to say their good-byes.

"Well, I guess that's it," Roy said. "Thank you for everything, Harold."

By his side, Riza also thanked the jolly gardener.

"You're most welcome. Be sure to send me a picture of your little brats when you have some," he said and chuckled.

"We'll do that." Roy answered in a good mood and reached out to shake hands with the man, who ignored the hand and hugged Roy tight. Harold then turned to Riza and gave her a hug as well, before the group left for the train.

"Have a safe trip! I hope we'll see each other again some day!"

The soldiers rushed into the train and found their seats just in time. The train started to move, and they looked through the window, to see Harold one last time. He was still at the station, arms crossed, his gray hair hidden by his hat. He waved one last good-bye, before the train sped up and then turned around to go back to his car. Maybe he could hear about them on the radio, or maybe even read something in the newspaper. Even though he hadn't been very interested in the news of the war before, Harold knew he would be listening to them constantly now.

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**A/N****: **Going home, yay! Let's wait and see what will happen. I'll give you options, you can choose: a) trouble b) more trouble c) even more trouble. MUAHAHA! Oh, well… At least I don't have any more factories to explode. So, thanks a lot for reading! If you have the time, please leave a review. Thanks again and see you next Friday!


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **FMA belongs to Arakawa. All I own at the moment is a cup of coffee. Hmmm… coffee…

I want to say thank you to KageNoNeko, Hina Kita, ssadropout, Toushirou-chan, lecchan, CmonNow, TheJadenAlchemist, Hollowmist, Aieika and StarCatcher1858 for your great reviews! You're the best!

I also want to say thank you to my wonderful beta-reader, ssadropout!

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**Chapter 17 – I Won't Let You Die**

**April 7****th****, 1918 **

The train traveled fast, and it was the middle of the afternoon when it left Lumburk City for its last stop, the town of Kodybrady, near the Amestrian border. Falman watched the green landscape go by as the train sped up once more, leaving the urban area. They'd have to talk to one of his contacts to enter Amestris, but that shouldn't be a problem. On the other hand, getting back to Central City, which was under the Nymbean command, would be no walk in the park.

The S.I.F. agent stretched his arms and looked around him. Fuery was apparently half asleep. Every now and then he would make a jerking movement with his head and wake up, but fall asleep again seconds later. Havoc was staring at the window and kept fidgeting nervously with a coin. Falman wondered if his restlessness was due to his craving a cigarette. Jean had told him he was trying to quit but it wasn't easy. The agent looked at the seats in front of him again, thinking that he could get used to that scene, still unusual to him. Mustang and Hawkeye were sitting side by side, which in and of itself was nothing different. However, Riza had her head resting on Roy's shoulder, and he had used his jacket to cover them both. Roy turned to her, asked something, brushed a strand of hair away from face, and they both smiled. The way they looked at each other had changed, but only a little. Falman found himself thinking of how long they had been in love before they had finally allowed themselves to be together.

They got to the station in Kodybrady at dusk. They would have to travel on foot from now on and would probably be at the border not long after midnight. Falman knew the way well, and it wasn't long, but he had to consider that Mustang was still limping slightly, so they couldn't walk too fast.

The group got out of the city in no more than a few minutes. They followed the road guided by the light of a lousy small lantern that Falman carried in his salesman suitcase, where he put many other things that might come in handy.

"Who's your contact in the border?" Roy asked the agent.

"He's another S.I.F. agent. He's supposed to tell us which way to go once we get there," Falman replied in a low voice, even though apart from them, there wasn't a single soul around.

For most of the trip they barely talked. Roy, as they all expected, was walking a bit more slowly after some time. Riza asked Roy about his leg a couple of times, but he insisted in not stopping. Midnight came and went. Fuery brought his watch close to the lantern to check the time. One o'clock. Soon it was past two o'clock and the chilly wind made them all shiver. The road was only distinguishable in the dark because of the bushes and trees adorning its sides. Havoc mumbled something and cursed the weather. It was spring already, so it should be a little warmer. They kept on walking for some more time until they finally saw a light ahead of them. There it was. The military post on the border, guarded by two Amestrian soldiers.

"Good evening, travelers. Where are you headed?" one of the guards asked.

"We're heading to the next town. We're selling some tools, would you like to take a look? I've got a special price on the screwdrivers," Falman said.

There was a moment of silence while the newly arrived group came under the light and the guards studied them.

"Any special deliveries tonight?" the tallest of the guards asked.

"Indeed."

The guards' eyes stopped at Roy as they recognized him.

"Brigadier General Roy Mustang?" one of them said in disbelief. "So you're the one they're bringing back! I honestly thought you were dead."

"You didn't know of our mission?" Havoc asked.

"We knew you went to search for someone important, but we didn't know who. You know how careful the S.I.F. is with information."

"Have you been informed of the best way for us to go?" Falman asked.

"We're still waiting for some more information. Apparently there's a little task you inherited from our late agent Masheck," the other guard said and added, "I'll call for someone to come and talk to you. There's been a problem."

Falman stared at the guards then at his friends. He wasn't aware of any problems or missions that Masheck might not have accomplished. However, he was under strict orders from the Secret Intelligence Force as well as the soldiers watching that specific post.

"Maurice. Why don't you offer them some hot coffee? I'll call our superior," one of the soldiers suggested to the other.

They all got inside the small house; Maurice got a kettle and a few cups and started pouring in the black liquid for the exhausted travelers. Right next to them, the other soldier talked on the phone.

"The wolves have come back. Send in your dog," He said, before putting the phone back on the receiver without another word.

Another hour went by and when they had finally warmed up after their trip in the cold, a stout old man arrived, stomping the dirt off his boots. He introduced himself as Second Lieutenant Mark Leander and took a seat when one of the guards brought him a chair.

"So Falman, seems like your mission was a success," Leander said, taking his jacket off and then crossing his legs.

"Yes, sir," Falman answered in a neutral voice, feeling proud and at the same time relieved that he could finally say that.

"Unfortunately, Masheck left another mission for you," the man added, inspecting the sole of his boots for mud.

Roy, Riza, Kain and Jean noticed by Vato's look that he didn't know of any other mission.

Mark Leander didn't seem surprised though, like he didn't expect his agent to know about it anyway.

"When Masheck was in Aerugo, he met a guy who used to travel around a lot and had spent some time in Creta," he explained, finally putting both his feet down and staring at Falman with the serious expression the situation demanded. "He assigned this guy a very important mission, to gather some information on the location of the Nymbean airbases in Creta. The man came back recently and crossed the border through this same post just four days ago. He was supposed to go to Berville, but he never made it."

"Did he have the information?" Roy asked, suppressing a grimace as a bolt of pain went through his leg where the bone had been fractured before.

"He did. From Berville he was supposed to take the train to Central. Of all the routes, this is the one with the least surveillance. Unfortunately, there have been some conflicts near Berville. We believe he may have been arrested or injured, but we can't call our officers there," Leander said like it was obvious. He was quiet for a moment, thinking about it and decided to add, "The lines might be wiretapped."

The soldiers shot uncertain looks at one another, before Mustang stepped ahead. "So you want us to find him."

Leander was happy that they had understood without him having to say it. He felt bad asking the Brigadier General to go with his subordinates in such a mission, but considering the present situation, he had no one else to turn to.

"Berville is still considered the safest route, despite the recent conflicts. We need you to go through the same way and try to find him, dead or alive. We need the information. It should be disguised as some unimportant thing, like a diary or even a book."

"Do you have any information on him? Maybe a picture so we know what he looks like? " Hawkeye asked.

"That's the thing," the old man said. "Masheck first saw this guy talking to Brigadier General Mustang on the street in Aerugo. You know him. His name is Edward Elric, he used to be a State Alchemist."

"Edward?"

At that moment, Roy felt a rush of anger hit him. Edward couldn't even use alchemy anymore. The younger Elric had fought so hard to be able to live a normal life with his family. However, using the right words, maybe talking about freedom or justice, Masheck probably hadn't had any difficulties convincing the lad to accept the mission.

Roy had never liked Masheck much, although he didn't dislike him either. He was an arrogant man, but nothing too different from most people Mustang had met in the army. Nonetheless, Roy now noticed he couldn't blame Masheck, because he himself had been hard on Edward most of the time.

"_Damn it," _Roy thought, trying to keep his cool. Being a rather inexperienced boy, Edward wouldn't kill an enemy soldier even if he had a gun pointed at his face. Nonetheless, the boy had always been a survivor. "When was he last seen?"

Leander got an encoded file and started reading out loud the little information he had about the older of the two Elric brothers and all he had on the recent conflicts in the area where he was last seen. A Nymbean troop had met some rebel soldiers near the main roads. After two days hiding in trenches, throwing grenades and exchanging machinegun shots, three biplanes had been sent to bombard the rebels. By then most of the Nymbean soldiers had succumbed, and the ones who were still alive had taken the opportunity to run away.

"Do you think he was travelling along this road when it happened?" Havoc asked.

"I don't know if he was there when it happened, but he had to go through that area, that's for sure," Leander said, holding the cup of coffee Maurice offered him and taking a sip from it.

"We'll find him." Roy said confidently, making Leander think that his becoming Fuhrer was something worth fighting for.

"Good. When you get the information, take it to Central with you. But Grumman won't last long enough for you to see him, I'm afraid."

The news hit them like cold water. They knew Grumman's situation was bad, but they expected to see him one last time before he died. Roy was the first to break the unpleasant silence that followed.

"We don't have time to lose. From what we know Edward may be injured and we can't leave him waiting for aid."

Leander and the two guards were quick to express their concern about their travelling at that hour, but the group wouldn't say no to Mustang. With their boss in command, they were invincible. Soon they were back on the road, carrying no written information about Edward or his mission. They knew where they had to go, and they would find him.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**April 9****th****, 1918 **

Two long days walking were enough to weaken their bodies, but not their spirits. When they first saw the abandoned trenches near a burned down storehouse, they ran. Despite the pain in their muscles, the blisters on their feet, the thirst that bothered them, they ran.

What they found, however, didn't help set them at ease. The putrid smell in the air came from burned bodies in the middle of the first trench. Some small craters in the ground showed where the bombs had fallen, and part of the trenches were blocked with dirt and pieces of wood. Apparently, all the dead soldiers had been piled up in one place and set on fire. Whoever had done that either didn't have the time to bury them or just didn't care enough to do so.

"Edward still has his automail leg," Riza pointed out. Havoc, Falman and Fuery looked at the pile of bones, black putrefying flesh and burned clothes, and felt their stomachs turn upside down. They were impressed when they saw Roy take a step closer and grab a piece of wood to inspect the bodies in search of a steel limb.

"This is gross," Havoc complained, following the General and using a piece of wood as well to push the bodies from the top of the pile.

What was left of some of the burned bodies fell to the ground with an unpleasant sound, and Havoc waved the piece of wood he had in the air, trying to scare the flies away. The smell seemed to get worse once they poked the pile. Falman took a step back, saying he would watch the road, and Riza started walking around, looking for more bodies. Kain finally joined Roy and Jean, although unwillingly, and started pulling out the boots of another body. All he found was the blackened skin of the dead soldier whose face wasn't recognizable.

"I'm going to throw up," the Sergeant whined, when another dead man rolled down the pile and fell in front of him, his blurred eyes appearing to stare at him.

"He's not here," Roy concluded, turning around and climbing out of the trench with some difficulty.

"Let's get going. The injured must have been taken to a hospital or some other facility in the city," Falman said from a distance.

The three of them climbed out of the trench, and Havoc spent at least five minutes grousing at Falman for not having helped them with the bodies. They went back to the road and kept on walking until they got to the nearest village, to get water and food supplies, and to ask the local dwellers about the soldiers injured in battle.

"Why are you interested?"

"We're looking for a friend," Fuery answered.

The blond bearded man eyed him from behind the counter in the store, studying them and the things they were buying. Only food and water. Not that he sold anything different from that. He used to sell some medication, but they had run out of those a long time ago.

"You go back to where the trenches are and turn north. You should find a dirt path."

"That would lead us to the Nymbean facilities!" Havoc yelled at the man and slapped his big hands on the counter.

The man took a step backwards, scared at the Lieutenant's reaction. "Only if you travel about 20 miles in that direction," he explained. "There's a campaign hospital around there. Nymbe hasn't bothered to attack it, because the facilities they keep there are only storehouses, for food and medication. They don't have weapons and only few soldiers, so that area is relatively safe."

Without saying another word to the already disturbed tradesman, they paid for their things and left. Mustang didn't have to give their subordinates any orders. They all headed back to the trenches, hoping to find the campaign hospital. This was probably their best chance of finding the long-haired lad. Otherwise, he would be a needle in a haystack.

It was almost dark when they finally reached the facility they were looking for. It was a precarious set of military tents, where only a handful of doctors worked, or rather, tried to do their work in spite of the lack of equipment and medicine. The group's arrival seemed to make everyone nervous, as a nurse rushed to call the doctors the moment they set foot under one of the tents. Riza could swear she saw a patient stand up and hide behind a chest of drawers.

"What can I do for you?" a woman's voice asked, and they turned around to see the black-haired doctor wearing a lab coat over her not-so-clean civilian clothes.

"We're looking for a friend," Mustang replied in a friendly tone, trying not to sound like a potential threat.

"What is his name?" the doctor asked Roy, trying to ignore Riza and the others, who had now started walking around and looking at the patients.

"He might be here, I'm not sure," Mustang continued, trying to buy some time as his companions checked every bed. "There's been a plane attack and we are afraid that he was there when it happened."

The doctor looked bored as he started to say whatever came to mind in an attempt to avoid telling her the name of the person they were looking for. When he was already out of words to say, and the woman was about to interrupt him and tell him stop babbling, Havoc came back running.

"I found him," he whispered to Roy with urgency, and they both rushed to the next tent, followed closely by the female doctor who was quite apprehensive now.

Riza heard the commotion from the other end of the tent and also followed them shortly after. When she got there, she was slightly impressed. It was Edward, no doubt about it, although he had changed quite a lot. His hair was long as usual, but he had an at least 5-day-beard on his face and was apparently fairly taller. He had indeed turned into a handsome man, but she didn't even have time to notice that. What really caught her attention was the fact that he seemed to be in bad condition.

"Edward! Hey, Edward! Wake up!" Mustang said by his side, shaking the lad's shoulder a bit.

Edward opened his eyes for a moment, squinting, and barely made a sound. "Huh?"

"Are you all right? What happened to you?" Mustang tried to get him to talk. Ed moved his lips, but didn't say anything and closed his eyes again. "Edward, wake up," Mustang insisted.

"He's got an infection."

Roy, Riza, Havoc, Fuery and Falman all turned to the doctor, who didn't seem exactly optimistic.

"How bad is it?" Riza asked.

"Pretty bad. He got here days ago, with a metal shard stuck in his shoulder. We removed it and cleaned the wound, but it was deep and it got infected. He's been fighting, but if the infection gets to his blood stream, he will die."

Roy looked incredulously at the woman. "Don't talk like he can't hear you!" he snapped. "Aren't you treating him for this infection?"

"Even if he hears us, he's been delirious because of the fever since this morning," she explained, holding the medical chart in her hand and checking the notes she had written there before. "I wish there was more we could do for him, but we don't have any medication. He needs antibiotics," she added in frustration. "I'll leave you alone. Call me if you need anything."

The doctor walked away, and they stared at each other at first, then at Roy. Their mission was to get the information, but what would they do about Ed? Fuery knelt on the floor, and they watched him crawl under the bed and pick something up. A leather backpack. Fuery opened it in silence and found what seemed like a journal. He handed it to Roy who, being an alchemist, was already used to encoded messages. Mustang had no doubt when he saw Ed's notes.

"This is it," he said, staring at the unconscious figure.

"What are we going to do?" Havoc asked.

"Could we take him with us?" Fuery asked, even though he didn't hold his hopes up.

"I don't think he's in any condition to be moved anywhere," Riza told him what he already expected to hear.

"Edward," Mustang insisted in calling him another time. "Edward."

The lad opened his eyes again and in a rather lucid moment blinked twice then spoke in an almost inaudible voice. "My journals…"

"It's okay, we got them," Roy said, pulling a stool to sit by his side. "What happened to you?"

Edward spoke, but they were uncertain of what he had said. Roy thought he had heard the name 'Benjamin', but he didn't know anyone with that name.

"Who? Ed? Who's Benjamin?" he asked.

"Alphonse said… that my son was born," Edward talked in a louder voice this time.

"Your son? Alphonse said so? When did you talk to him? Where is he?" Roy asked in a hurry, but Riza held his shoulder as trying to tell him to slow down. Roy understood her concern and repeated the last question more slowly.

"Aerugo… We talked by phone," Edward replied and tried to move a little in his bed so as to get more comfortable. Falman noticed what he was trying to do and he and Havoc carefully helped Ed move on his side.

"That's good, they'll be safe there," Falman said, hoping that would come as solace to the young lad.

"I don't want to die. I want to meet my son," Edward uttered sadly.

Roy looked at the lad and remembered the day Ed had told him he had married Winry. He seemed so happy. After all he had been through, life had presented Edward with this little miracle, and he wouldn't be able to see it.

"I won't let you. I promise," Roy said, squeezing the lad's left hand and sincerely hoping this was a promise he would be able to keep.

* * *

**A/N: **Hello everybody! I hope no one is getting homicidal ideas again. I know, first I exploded Roy's factory, now Ed's got an infection… It's all for the sake of the story! Well, if I think of Arakawa's (brilliant) work, I don't feel bad anymore. LOL! Thanks a lot to everyone who's reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting! Leave a review if you have the time, please! =D


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **Not mine and you know that. Don't sue me, 'cause I have no money. It's not worth it, believe me.

I want to say thank you to lecchan, KageNoNeko, ssadropout, Hina Kita, Cantata Blue, and hawkeyeflame1921 for your great reviews!

I also want to say thank you to my great beta-reader, ssadropout!

* * *

**Chapter 18 - ****Unshakable Loyalty**

**April 9****th****, 1918 **

The darkness had taken over the land and only a few lights in the campaign hospital rebelled against it. The full moon in the sky made it possible to distinguish the road and the trees around them, but only barely. Falman scratched his chin and placed a hand on his left knee, which had been aching for quite a while. He was sitting down by Edward's bed, watching the lad and resting a little. He wasn't twenty anymore. The long walks in the last few weeks had made him very tired.

In bed, Edward opened his eyes again and looked at the ceiling for some time. Riza placed a wet piece of cloth on his forehead, but he didn't look at her nor did he say a word. He seemed to be unaware of what was going on around him. The fever made him delirious and weak.

"Are you sure you can't contact anyone?" Riza asked Falman.

"We can try to talk to someone in Central, but by the time we get there…" he started to say, but didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to. It was pretty obvious what was going to happen. He looked at the lad with sad eyes. He still saw a child there. Edward was married and even had a son now, but to Falman, he was nothing more than the reckless and disrespectful boy who had insisted in arguing with and challenging Mustang for years.

"Winry must be worried," Riza said. Although she tried not to think about the girl, the thoughts just came to her. It was too sad. Winry sure hadn't accepted to sacrifice her family another time, even if for the sake of the country.

Outside the tent, Mustang put a bottle of water inside a backpack and looked at the compass he had gotten from Falman's suitcase when the other wasn't looking. As Roy expected, the small dirt road led north. The Nymbean storehouse was where they kept food supplies and medication. He had already spoken to Ed's doctor and knew what kind of medicine he needed.

"_I won't let you die on me, stupid kid,_"

Mustang sighed and started walking. He was tired, but that didn't bother him. He had taken no more than five or six steps when someone called him.

"Where are you going?" Havoc asked, running towards him. Only a few meters behind was Fuery, also very worried about him.

"Go back inside," Roy ordered, not stopping.

"What are you doing?" Havoc insisted, catching up with him.

"I said, go back!" Roy told him in a louder voice this time, but not loud enough for the others inside the tent to hear.

Fuery also caught up with them and started trotting by their sides. "You aren't planning to go to the Nymbean storehouse, are you?" the Sergeant asked like he didn't want to believe Roy would do such a thing.

"No way!" Havoc yelled, grabbing Mustang by his arm before he could answer Fuery's question.

"Let go of me, that's an order!" Roy snapped.

"No, sir. I won't," Havoc replied in a serious tone.

"I'm warning you," Roy said, pulling his arm and trying to free himself from his friend's grip.

"You can't go. It's dangerous," Kain pleaded.

"What do you want to do? Leave Edward here to die? After he risked himself to get this information?" Roy's voice sounded nervous. He couldn't be thinking straight, Kain and Jean thought. Mustang was cold and detached most of the time, but he could be very emotional when it came to people close to him, especially his subordinates.

"We will go. You stay," Havoc offered, trying to hold the man back.

"I'm an alchemist. It will be easier for me to get inside."

For a moment, Fuery and Havoc didn't say anything. They couldn't argue with logic. Roy had a much better chance of succeeding in such a mission, but that didn't mean he should go, at least not alone.

"Sir, with all due respect, this is not a mission for you. You can't afford to die trying to save one man," Havoc said and Roy stopped trying to get rid of him.

"I'm not going to die," the General insisted with unabashed confidence.

"We are all fighting because we believe you can change this country. If you die, you'll be throwing all our efforts away like trash. Does our work mean this little to you?" Havoc continued, not intimidated by Roy's angry look.

"I didn't become an alchemist to watch people die in front of me while I could protect them. I was given a damn second chance when the roof collapsed in that factory. A novel writer paid for my hospital bills! Don't you see?" Roy finally managed to step away from Havoc. "I should have died, and yet, here I am! I got my second chance and Edward deserves his."

Fuery and Havoc stared at each other, knowing that they wouldn't be able to make him change his mind. They made their decision almost at the same time.

"We'll go with you then," Kain said, trying to sound confident, although he was disobeying a direct order and confronting his superior, something he usually wouldn't do.

Roy didn't protest, as long as the others kept quiet about their little mission. Falman had been assigned the mission to bring Mustang back. He actually had authority over Roy until they arrived at Amestris and joined the army once again. If he told Falman about it and left anyway, the older soldier could get in trouble. However, Falman couldn't be blamed for anything he didn't know about. And if they told Riza about their plans, she wouldn't agree to them for sure and would tell Falman. Roy didn't like to lie to her, but he would need to.

"We'll get our coats. Wait for us," Havoc said, pointing a finger at Mustang. His expression made it clear that he would hunt the General down if he tried to leave for the storehouse by himself.

Back in the campaign hospital, Jean put on his jacket and checked his gun. "His obstinacy is going to get him killed one day," he complained.

"We have to be careful. You know how the Brigadier General is," Kain said with hidden anxiety.

"I know."

"I'm not sure it's better if we go with him," the shorter soldier said.

Havoc turned to Fuery, not sure about what that meant.

"He will be worried about us," Kain added.

Havoc had to agree with that thought.

"You're right. But we can't let him go alone."

"We have to guarantee he'll be back, no matter the circumstances."

"Yeah... No hard feelings?"

"No."

They finished getting dressed for the cold, still discussing their plans to guarantee the Brigadier General's safety. They then rushed outside and found Mustang, still waiting for them. The trio began their journey to the storehouse quietly, not wanting to be noticed. Even the tiniest noise could be heard from far away in the dead silence of the night. Fortunately, the weather seemed to be on their side. The moon was full and the sky was clear. Not a single cloud could be seen that night, so the visibility was good enough. They kept on walking as fast as the mud and vegetation allowed them to walk. About three hours passed before they saw the storehouse, a huge squared building made of bricks.

They watched the building from far away at first, trying to figure out the security. Two soldiers were guarding the front door. Another one kept walking round the storehouse slowly. He would go around it once, then remain at one place for five or ten minutes before circling the building again.

The third soldier strode his way around the storehouse another time, stopped, then ambled towards the other soldiers to ask them for a cigarette. Roy, Kain and Jean understood that this would be their best opportunity. They crawled out of their hideout and hid again behind the building. In a matter of seconds, Mustang made a door on the wall using alchemy. As the lights were all off inside, they believed there would be no one in there.

Once they were in the building, Roy sealed the entrance he had opened and lit their lamp using alchemy. After such a long time, it felt good to use his abilities again. However, Mustang didn't have time to think of that. They had to be quick. There were piles and piles of boxes in the storehouse. Some food was stored in big wooden crates, but there were cardboard boxes at the other end of the building. They opened one of them and found some anesthetics. Another box had analgesics and the third box they opened had anti-inflammatories. Those were probably the most commonly used kinds of medication during times of war.

"We'll take some of these too. Find the antibiotics now," Mustang whispered.

"Here," Fuery said, showing him a box full of penicillin bottles and packages of sulfa powder.

Since they didn't know which one was best, they put some of both drugs in their backpacks and prepared to leave. The whole operation had taken about five minutes, but now they had to leave still unnoticed. They were lucky the place was so big. Otherwise, the light from the alchemical transformation would catch somebody's attention.

Roy opened a small hole in the wall to look outside. He waited a few more seconds until the guard passed by and risked opening a bigger hole that he would close right after they got out. Apparently, they had made it without anyone noticing, but when they were about 50 feet from the building, the guard came back and spotted the moving shapes in the dark.

"Halt! Who goes there?" he yelled, pointing his rifle at them.

He didn't have a chance to fire. A sparkle flew towards him and the rifle exploded in his hands, burning his fingers and face. He was lucky his injuries weren't worse.

"What the hell?"

"What's going on?" another voice said and the two soldiers who were watching the entrance came.

"Intruders!" the other yelled with eyes closed, holding his face in pain.

The intruders had already taken off on a sprint, but the soldiers still tried to shoot them, even though the darkness didn't help them much.

Mustang, Fuery and Havoc didn't look back. They just ran, ignoring the sound of the bullets being fired right behind them. They would get away easily. In the darkness, no one would manage to shoot them. Mustang didn't want to use his alchemy again because the flame would give away their exact location and make them an easy target, but the guards would have to be stupid to try to follow them after his first attack.

The earsplitting sound of an explosion took them by surprise. A hand grenade had fallen very near them and the impact threw both Mustang and Fuery to the ground. Havoc turned back and shot randomly in the direction where the enemy soldiers were.

"Are you alright?" the Lieutenant asked them.

"I'm fine," Mustang moaned, getting up and using his flame attack at the enemies to scare them away. The guards hid behind the building now, desperate as the top branches of a tree next to them caught fire.

Mustang was back on his feet again, but Fuery hadn't moved. As the guards yelled and called for help, Roy shook the unconscious lad, trying to wake him up.

"Damn it, come on, Fuery! Wake up!" Roy yelled, slapping the Sergeant's cheek.

"Is he injured?" Havoc asked nervously.

"I think so, he was behind me," Roy answered, making another rather brutal attempt at waking Kain up.

"We don't have much time!" Havoc cried, as another gunshot crossed the air near them.

"Help me here, damn it! My leg's no good! I can't carry him and run!" Mustang shouted, fighting the desperation that was trying to gain control of him while he pulled Fuery up by his arm.

When Havoc didn't come to help him, he found it weird and turned his head to face his companion. The moon light reflected on the silver metal of the .38 caliber, making it shine in the dark. Havoc was pointing a gun at him, or…

"What the hell are you doing?" Roy asked in overwhelming shock. The gun was pointed at Fuery, not him. But it still didn't make any sense. Why would Havoc do that all of a sudden?

"Step away," Havoc said.

"Are you crazy?"

"Step away, sir," Havoc insisted, trying to disguise the panic eating him from the inside.

More shots were fired and Roy used his alchemy again. In his burst of anger, he didn't hold down his attack. His fire hit the other trees and set the wooden door of the storehouse alight. With the new clarity of the fire, the enemies finally managed to see them.

"Stop right there!" they shouted.

"Havoc, back away!" Mustang insisted, trying to walk and drag Fuery along, but the other didn't obey him. "Fuck! Put that gun down!"

Suddenly, the previously unmoving form next to him rolled on its side. Fuery raised his head, rubbing it with a painful expression.

"Aaahh…" he moaned, as Roy pulled him up.

"What the fuck, Havoc?" Mustang kept on yelling, but the Lieutenant ignored him and turned to the enemies, shooting at them another time.

"Get up, Sergeant! Hurry up!" Havoc uttered.

Kain was quick to remember what was going on and stood up, although he still felt dizzy, and started to run. Mustang and Havoc followed right after. They soon left the Nymbean soldiers and the storehouse – now on fire – behind. Fuery, to their relief, had no injuries. He had hit his head, but apart from that he was all right. Minutes later they stopped running and took on a slower pace. Roy seemed about to go ballistic, but Havoc couldn't care less. He was just thankful that Fuery had woken up. No one said a word until they were almost back at the campaign hospital, when Roy finally hit the roof.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Havoc? Are you out of you fucking mind?" he said, grabbing the taller soldier by the collar of his jacket and pulling him down.

"What happened?" Fuery asked confused.

"The rebels must have put shit in your head!" Mustang still yelled, outraged, forcing his subordinate to bend down slightly as he still held his collar.

"We both agreed to that before we left," Havoc replied, making no effort to stop Mustang from choking him.

"What?"

Fuery pulled Mustang's arm, trying to get him to let go of Havoc. Roy turned to him, his anger turning into shock. Havoc took a deep breath when Mustang finally let him go. From what he remembered, Mustang wasn't that strong before. His job at the factory probably had been hard, Jean thought.

"We agreed to shield you and if anything happened to one of us, the other should shoot him," the Sergeant explained.

"Why would you do that?" Roy snapped, making an effort not to grab Kain by his collar like he had just done to Havoc.

"Because we know you'd never leave one of us the _fuck_ behind even if you were in danger," Havoc continued. "We can afford to die here, but you can't."

Mustang stared mutely at his subordinates, feeling the responsibility of his mission smash him. It was embarrassing how his subordinates were willing to sacrifice their lives for him to become the Fuhrer. They had fought together before, but surviving had always been a priority. Now, their priority was different, it was Mustang's survival, not their own.

"Damn it. You were really going to shoot Fuery, weren't you?" he asked, his voice much calmer now.

"I don't know, boss. The truth is that I was hoping you wouldn't let me," Havoc admitted and got a cigarette from his pocket.

"You're trying to quit," Fuery complained, as they got back on their way to the hospital, Roy now lost in his thoughts.

"Gimme a break. I almost shot you and you're worried about my health?"

The Brigadier General smiled, relieved somewhat, as everything went back to normal. Fuery and Havoc started arguing over the smoking topic and Havoc ended up tossing his last cigarette in the bushes, muttering several swear words. They arrived at the hospital with the antibiotics and anti-inflammatories no long afterward.

**April 10****th****, 1918 **

The sun was already showing itself in the horizon when Riza heard them coming. She had been desperate since she had found a note written by Roy, saying he would be back soon. She had spent the whole night imagining the worst, her mind creating a million different scenarios in which Mustang got hurt or captured or just never came back. Somehow she knew where he had gone. She knew him too well to expect him not to do anything for Edward. The storehouse was the only place where they could get medication.

"Hello," Roy said hesitantly, when she met them outside the tent, already expecting a well-deserved scolding.

Instead of telling him off, however, Riza hugged him tight. He was all right; he was there with her again. She was angry and upset because he had left her behind, but now that he was back, all she wanted was to touch him, to assure herself that it wasn't a trick, that he was really there.

"You have no idea how worried I was!" she told him, clearly feeling betrayed.

"Antibiotics," was all that Roy could say, showing Riza his backpack.

It had been a reckless thing to do, but that was the man she had fallen in love with. He'd always been like that and he cared for his subordinates enough to do some very stupid things.

"Now that's new," Havoc said to Fuery as they watched Riza kiss Roy on the lips with the kind of urgency that showed how terrible the night had been for her.

"Yeah," the lad said with a laugh.

Riza interrupted the kiss and stared angrily at Roy. "We're not over," she said to him, making Havoc and Fuery desperately wish to get away from her.

They heard someone else's concerned voice coming towards them and Falman left the tent, stomping and fuming.

"Oh, damn… I guess the boss can't expect a kiss from that one," Havoc mumbled.

"Where the hell have you been all night?" Falman stormed.

"Medication," Havoc replied, opening his backpack full of sulfa packages.

"What?"

"For Edward," Fuery added.

For a moment, the S.I.F. agent's broad smile caused them to think he was simply pleased with their success in the unexpected mission, but soon Falman had another outburst.

"Mustang went with you? Are you nuts?"

"I'm an alchemist. I can take care of myself," Roy said, slightly offended.

Falman stared at him seriously, his eyes still burning with disapproval. "Permission to speak freely, sir," he asked, then remembered he was the one in charge this time. "The hell! Why am I even asking permission? You are out of your mind!"

Roy rolled his eyes as Vato started complaining at him almost hysterically. The General walked towards the tent to take the medication to Edward's doctor, listening to the agent with only half of his attention. He would already get his punishment for the short trip. It was morning, they had to leave for the city and he hadn't slept all night. Havoc and Fuery hadn't either, so when the two soldiers didn't complain, Roy decided not to say anything either. At least Edward would have a chance to fight the infection.

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**A/N: **Everything ended well, yay! If you were scared for them this chapter, I succeeded in my attempt to drive everyone nuts. Aaand, I would sure appreciate reviews with your opinions on this chapter! Thanks a lot to everyone who's reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting! Next Friday, new chapter!


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** I wish I did, but I don't own FMA.

I want to say thank you to lecchan, fabi washu, KageNoNeko, ssadropout, Theiving Alchemist, Cantata Blue, hawkeyeflame1921, Toushirou-chan, ILoveAnonymity, and Hina Kita for your great reviews!

I also want to say a big thank you to my awesome beta-reader, ssadropout!

* * *

**Chapter 19 – Chaos in Central**

**April 11****th****, 1918**

The first beams of sunlight shone inside the tent of the campaign hospital, greeting the patients with its warmth. Edward opened his eyes and blinked a few times, feeling odd. His body ached and he felt weak, but for the first time in days he felt perfectly aware of everything, like he had woken up from a dream. His fever was finally down.

The lad closed his eyes again, trying to relax. He was getting better. Either that or the infection had won. For a moment, Edward's heart skipped a beat, and he sat up on his bed, moving his feet and arms, checking his own body. He was alive. He hadn't died. His head suddenly hurt from the quick movement, and Edward rubbed his forehead, fighting not to lie down again. He needed to get well, to take the information to Central. The journals. Edward almost jumped off the bed to look for his backpack. He sighed in relief when he saw his backpack under the bed, but his relief didn't last long. When he opened the bag, the journals weren't there.

"The hell?" he voiced out his alarm, shaking his head, refusing to believe he had been so stupid.

He started looking around the bed for the journals, but something like a weird dream came back to him.

"_Don't worry, we'll take your journals."_

Edward thought he might be hallucinating again. He tried hard to think, to remember the last few days. The next thing that came to his mind didn't make much sense and the lad wasn't sure if it was real or not.

Lieutenant Hawkeye was talking to a doctor. She looked at him and said he would be all right. By her side, Mustang was eyeing him with a concerned expression. Some other mental image formed inside his head. Sergeant Fuery was talking to Falman. He couldn't remember what they were talking about, but every now and then they looked at him, and someone kept taking the wet towel from his forehead, washing it and placing it back.

Mustang came back again. "_Good work, Edward. Now you focus on recovering and going back to your family._" He was different from the Mustang he knew. He sounded calm and somehow paternal. More like a mentor than like his superior.

"You're up, already!" a woman's exclamation filled the place. Edward turned to the entrance and saw a female doctor. Around him, he noticed now, the other patients were still asleep.

"Yes… I feel better," he said quickly, almost as apologizing.

"You really owe your friends."

Edward sat down again, his curiosity only being fueled by her comment. Could all those blurry memories be true? They had to be. "What did they do?" he asked.

"They robbed the Nymbean storehouse near here and got some antibiotics. Seems like they burned the place down and Nymbe attributed the attack to the rebellion forces in the west. They didn't even notice there was medication missing," the doctor explained to him as though she was sharing a very funny joke.

"Really? They stole antibiotics?"

"For you, yes."

"Did they say what their names were?" Edward asked, even though he barely had any doubts now. He knew very few people who would do something this risky.

"They didn't say. I asked one of them, a medium-height guy with ear-length dark hair if he was close to you, and he just said something weird."

"What did he say?"

"Antibiotics for a cup of tea. I don't owe him anymore."

The doctor was completely lost when the golden-haired man burst out in laughter. Only someone as proud and stubborn as Mustang would still remember the damn cup of tea he had bought him months ago and consider himself in debt. Edward lay down again, more at ease than he had been for days. Now he could rest, get well, and go back home. He was really looking forward to meeting his son Benjamin.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**April 11****th****, 1918 **

It had rained the night before and the path that led to Berville was muddy and slippery. After the long trip on foot, the small town in the countryside felt very welcoming, despite the fact that most people were hiding at home and some were even making plans to run away. Planes had been flying by, towards Central City, since Mustang's group left the campaign hospital the day before. Falman didn't know of any reasons for that, but he feared the worst. Another conflict? A rebel attack? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

The five of them walked along the empty streets of Berville, in search of a market or store that wasn't closed. It was only 5 o'clock in the afternoon and most places were already closed. A bar was open, but they wouldn't find the food supplies they needed there. They asked around and were told that there was a small pension for travelers just two blocks away. Hoping to spend the night there, they headed that way.

"We have a few free rooms, yes," the hotel manager said. "Are you coming from Central?" he asked, while looking for the keys.

"No, we're not," Havoc said without enthusiasm and yawned.

The song that was playing on the radio at the reception stopped, and a news broadcaster started to speak. Riza took a few steps towards the radio to hear the news, and everyone else also turned to it, hoping to hear what was so important that it had interrupted the music.

"They won't stop talking about the Fuhrer," the manager said, placing the keys on the table.

Nobody paid attention to him, as they were all in shock. The broadcaster on the radio had just announced Fuhrer Grumman's funeral. The cancer had won the battle. After a few moments in which the only thing heard was the radio transmission, the manager spoke again, and this time they all heard him. "Things are getting crazy in Central since yesterday. Haven't you heard?"

"We've been on the road for some time. Can you tell us what's going on there?" Riza managed to ask, and the man shot a curious look at them before answering.

"Well, I believe you heard Nymbe had designated someone to take over. There was a meeting last night and our army split in two. Part is in favor of the rebellion, they want to fight and kick Nymbe out of our country. The other part wants to accept their control to avoid the bloodshed."

They knew that the S.I.F. was behind the part that was against Nymbe, and they had to join them as quickly as possible. Splitting the army would weaken the country even more. The radio broadcaster started talking about conflicts in Central City and around it, including some information about Nymbean tanks that were fighting rebel troops in the area between Berville and Central.

When the music started playing on the radio again, they all went upstairs and gathered in one of the rooms they had rented.

"How the hell are we going to get to Central?" Havoc asked Falman immediately after Fuery closed the door of the room.

"I don't know. This route was considered safe, but with the conflicts now, it will be troublesome," Falman replied, slouching on the nearest bed.

For some time, none of them talked. They were trying to recollect any information they had, to remember a safe way to get to Central. If they were caught before they made it there, their mission would fail. After all, they knew there'd be no other way. They would have to get there in the middle of the crossfire.

Riza felt guilty as she found herself missing the last days in the Wilkinson's house in Aerugo, when Roy was recovering from the accident. He was doing some risk-free work in the garden of the Wilkinson's house and some other houses on the street. There were no risks involved, no stress. She could kiss him when he got home, and they would lie down to sleep together, not having to hide their relationship from anyone.

Roy seemed to catch her sad thoughts, because he placed a hand on the back of her neck and started caressing her skin, not trying to seduce her as usual, but to comfort her.

"We'll make it," he said to her, with the tired smile of a man who refused to give up hope.

Riza smiled back at him and they exchanged reassuring looks. With Roy by her side, she would do anything. The couple didn't even notice the curious looks from Falman, Havoc and Fuery. They were all quiet until a low knock on the door brought them back to reality.

Fuery, who was closer to the door, shot a worried glance at Mustang, before asking, "Who is it?"

"I need to talk to you," a man replied from across the door, and they all looked at each other, confused. They knew the owner of that voice.

"Breda!" they all said almost at the same time, when the red-haired man walked into the already crowded room.

"It's good to see you all again," he said, taking off the heavy jacket he was wearing.

"How did you know where to find us?" Riza asked him.

"I'm with the S.I.F., of course. I was informed you were going to Central through Berville."

"How did they give you decent information if they barely told us where to go?" Havoc complained.

"This is very important. We don't have much time. I don't know if you've heard about Grumman."

"He died," Roy said, trying to sound cold, although it was easy to see he was disturbed by his death.

"He was in pretty bad shape. The doctors said that the tumor might have metastasized to his heart. He went to sleep and never woke up," Breda explained.

"And what about the army?" Roy asked.

"Things are bad. The S.I.F. wants to fight Nymbe, but keep the organization secret. Many soldiers want to obey Nymbe's orders, so the army has split. Even a portion of the army that has just gone against Nymbe won't join the rebels, they call them hooligans. With them there are actually three factions. The S.I.F. hopes that Mustang's return will be enough to unify the army again."

"And how do we get to Central with all this mess?" Havoc asked.

"We have to go to Airbase Number 22, in the rural district of Morford. We'll fly from there."

"I didn't know there was an airbase there," Fuery replied. He had been trained as a pilot on airbase Number 3 in Xing. But for what he knew, in the two countries together, there were more than 30 airbases already, most of them small. Only the airbases in Xing and in the east of Amestris were big enough to train pilots. "That's great!" Kain added.

As he was already used to airplanes, Fuery was the only one happy with the idea of flying to Central. Breda didn't say anything in response to the Sergeant's comment. He just walked by him and Falman and stopped in front of Havoc. The tall blond soldier saw his friend was staring at him, but didn't understand why.

"What is it?" he asked the fat soldier.

"Punch me."

"What? Why?" Havoc was confused at first, but then remembered the last time he had seen Heymans. The other had beaten him up quite bad. "Oh, forget it," he said.

"I mean it," Breda still insisted, but Havoc didn't want to. "All right, I'll buy you a pack of cigarettes then, if you won't just hit me…" he added as a joke.

"I quit smoking."

"I'll get you a date with some girl, then."

"I kinda have a woman already," Havoc said and the others eyed him curiously. "I do!" Havoc insisted when he noticed his friends' doubtful looks.

"Really?" Roy asked.

"Just some wild adventure that turned into… well… I still don't know exactly what. I hope to see her again after all this," Havoc explained.

"Wild adventure?" Fuery asked.

"Yeah, you know… The kind of one-night-no-commitment-thing? I mean, she wanted it to be that way, but we got along. I met her when our rebel group was hiding in Central, trying to buy weapons. I don't know," he shrugged.

Roy looked at Riza then at the others. They all remembered how Jean had trouble with relationships and how he hated to be alone. He was the kind of guy that would be already married or at least engaged if he were any better at relationships.

"You don't know? What's holding you back?" the Brigadier General asked.

"Well… She was married before. She left her husband because he had a drinking problem."

"You don't have any drinking problems," Falman observed.

"She's got a four-year-old daughter, which I only happened to find out about after two weeks seeing her!" Havoc cried out desperately, like it was some shocking news.

Immediately after his outburst, everyone needed a couple of moments to catch their breaths, so hard they laughed.

"It's not funny! Rachel's older than me!" Havoc said.

"Oh, come on! So what?" Roy told him in disbelief.

"What's the matter? Don't like women stealing from the crib?" Breda asked, chuckling.

"She's not _that_ much older than me. But she's got a kid! I mean, a kid! A four-year-old daughter!"

"But you haven't run away yet, so it can't bother you that much," Fuery said.

"The little girl is all right, actually. She's cute; she pronounces my name wrong… Says 'Jen' instead of 'Jean'".

"There you go. You're ready to be a father," Roy said in a good mood, making everyone laugh.

"No!" Havoc yelled. He seemed to think fatherhood was some kind of monster with many tentacles trying to grab him.

"You're just scared of commitment. Don't be such a child," Riza complained and the men all straightened themselves, trying to look serious again.

"You said we're going to fly to Central, right? Is there a place to land there?" Roy asked Breda again.

"Yes, the Nymbean runway near the headquarters. The S.I.F. took control of it this morning. They have machine guns on top of the headquarters, ready to take down any enemy aircraft."

"But not us, I hope."

"No, they know we're going to get there by plane."

"Good," Mustang replied.

They discussed their plan over and over until late at night, when they decided that they needed some sleep before their trip. Jean and the others said they'd get the others rooms, so Mustang and Hawkeye could have the one they were in now.

"You two go straight to sleep; we're gonna wake up early," Havoc joked.

"Oh, shut up," Mustang replied, closing the door after them.

"Is she staying with him?" Breda asked the others with a doubtful expression.

"Oh, that's right! You haven't heard about them," Falman said.

"Heard what?"

"They're together," Fuery said.

Breda looked at them surprised. "Together like… _together_?"

"Yeah, together like I-hope-the-walls-aren't-thin-or-I-won't-sleep," Havoc replied, unlocking the door of the room next to Mustang and Hawkeye's and entering.

"I'll be damned…" Breda said, entering his own bedroom as the others laughed at his surprise.

The group would have to leave early in the morning and as they were in the countryside, there was no mean of transportation they could use. This meant they would have to walk a few more miles before arriving at the airbase the next day at night, if they walked fast.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**April 13****th****, 1918 **

On the previous morning, Mustang's group had woken up dreading the long walk they had ahead of them. This morning however, they woke up wishing they could go to Central City on foot. Only Fuery seemed comfortable with the idea of flying. Airbase Number 22 was a small one. There were more planes than combat-trained pilots there, so Fuery was able to choose a biplane very similar to his own, and he was going to be the one flying it.

"Flying is for birds," Roy complained, looking at the biplane being towed to the runway.

"I flew with Fuery at the airbase 3, in Xing. He's good, you know," Havoc told him.

"What was it like? To fly?"

"Cool, but scary as hell…"

They watched Fuery trying to help Falman put on the leather helmet and goggles, and then the lad came to lecture them about what to do in case of any problems.

"Do these parachutes really work?" Breda asked him.

"Well, most of the time," Kain answered and they all hoped that they wouldn't need them.

Some other pilots were going to fly with them, so there were eight airplanes, flying in a formation, ready to fire at any enemy aircraft that got in their way.

Mustang fastened the seat belt and looked through the goggles at Fuery, who had climbed up to check on him. The Sergeant got Roy's seat belt and gave it a couple of tugs to be sure it was safe.

"How can you pilot without your glasses?" Mustang asked the lad.

"Prescription goggles. They're just the same as my regular glasses," Fuery replied, pointing at his own goggles. "Did you understand how the radio works?" he asked Roy.

"Yes, Sergeant."

The radio was the only way for them to communicate with each other, and only when they were flying close enough. However, it had to be operated by the person sitting in the back seat. Fuery finally got in and buckled up. He steered the plane down the runway, waiting for the first pair of biplanes to take off. Meters away from them, the other two aircraft turned on their engines, making a loud noise, and took off.

"Here we go," Kain announced, as they started picking up speed. By their side, another pilot was flying a biplane, taking Riza with him.

Roy felt gravity pulling him down with more strength, and they were finally going up. He looked to the side, and when Fuery started turning the plane, he could finally see the ground below. Trees, tractors, even houses were just small dots on the land. Roy looked to the other side and saw the other plane, where Riza was flying. Kain flew closer to the other aircraft, and as the last planes came up in the sky as well, they got into a kind of formation that was more adequate in case of a battle.

"Are you okay there?" Fuery yelled from the front seat.

"I'm all right."

"If you need to throw up, use the paper bag. Don't just stick your head out, okay? A guy managed to hit another airplane with his vomit when I was in Xing," Fuery explained.

"I don't need to throw up," Roy said, and he swore that he could hear Fuery say something like 'not yet'.

In only about three hours, they would be landing in Central, right next to the headquarters. Roy looked at the clock in the instrument panel and saw that only ten minutes had passed. Those three hours were going to be long. He tried to keep his mind busy thinking about everything that he had to do when they got to Central, but it was hard to focus. Every time Fuery did something different in the cockpit, Roy forgot about what he was thinking before and watched him attentively. He turned on the radio as Fuery asked him to and informed the other pilots that their flight was going smoothly. Voices came through the electronic device, saying that all the other airplanes were having enjoyable flights. Roy didn't understand how they could consider the flights 'enjoyable'. The cold wind blew at them and there wasn't much space to move inside the cockpit. Driving a car would be enjoyable, but flying sure wasn't.

The time passed slowly and Roy was somehow happy that he didn't feel sick so far. He had turned on the radio twice just to say that everything was all right when a transmission came. He turned the speakers on for them to listen to it.

"_There are enemy aircraft heading this way from east! I see six airplanes heading towards us! I repeat, six enemy planes are heading towards us from south!_"

"Oh, shoot!" Fuery yelled, and they both looked east, to see the dark eerie dots in the air, coming towards them, without a doubt.

That was the end of the enjoyable flight for sure. They were so close to their destination now, but now they were about to be intercepted and an air battle was a rush of adrenaline. The enemies had fighter bombers, which were heavier and not so easy to maneuver, but it took only one good shot to drop a plane, especially a fighter, which was smaller.

"Do you have your gloves with you?" Fuery asked in a very loud voice, but even so Roy barely heard him.

"Yes," he replied, already putting them on. His flame alchemy should be useful, if he managed to aim at the high-speeding targets.

Mustang took a deep breath and kept staring at the enemy aircraft. The time to fight had finally arrived.

* * *

**A/N: **Cliffhanger, yay! Or not. I like writing cliffhangers, hehe! I know I'm mean. But that's no big news. Anyway, thanks a lot to everyone who's reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting. If you can, please leave a review. As always, I'd like to know your opinion about the chapter. So, thanks again, and see you next Friday!


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but for a brain that's been turned into mashed potatoes.

I want to say thank you to Hina Kita, Aieika, ILoveAnonymity, lecchan, TheJadenAlchemist, Hiezen Uchiha, hawkeyeflame1921, Royal Duke Armandilloer III, animelover199514, KageNoNeko, Theiving Alchemist, Toushirou chan and Hollowmist for your great reviews!

I'm sorry if I forgot to answer any reviews last week. I'm not sure, but I do have a feeling that I didn't answer somebody. I've been going crazy, so excuse me for my shortcomings.

Aaaand… I also want to say a big thank you to my awesome beta-reader, ssadropout!

* * *

**Chapter 20 – The Air Battle**

**April 13****th****, 1918 **

Riza held tight to the machine gun, pointing at the still far away flying machines coming in their direction. The cold metal of the weapon felt like an old ally in her hands. For the first time in months, she felt like a soldier again. There was something good about it, like recovering something familiar from her past, but at the same time, it felt like a ghost coming back, some sort of strange paradox that didn't make much sense to her. However, her mind was operating on instinct now, as it had been trained to do during many previous battles, and these unnecessary self reflections were quickly left aside.

"I'm counting on you, Lieutenant!" the man who was flying the plane yelled to her over the engine noise.

She knew her skills were needed now, and she couldn't help but look at their other side, at the airplane where Roy and Kain were flying. She was responsible for her commander's safety. After all that had happened, the nights they had spent together, the hugs and kisses they had exchanged and all the loving words, he was still her Brigadier General, and she was his Lieutenant, always ready to protect him. And that was a mission she cherished.

"Bloody hell!" Breda yelled from the other airplane, holding on to the gun and trying to aim at the enemies. They were still too far away for him to fire at them, but he wanted to be as ready as possible. "Have you ever fought in this airplane?" he asked the pilot, a man named Trevor, but whose surname he had already forgotten.

"Yes, sir! I hope your stomach is strong!" the pilot replied with the kind of sarcasm of someone who didn't really like the current situation either.

As the enemies approached them, the escadrille turned to another direction so as to not be intercepted in a disadvantage. Patiently, they held their breaths as they waited for the Nymbean aircraft to be in gun range.

"Aren't those two planes there different from the others?" Havoc asked the man flying their biplane.

"It looks like it."

"They have only one pair of wings. I thought all the planes had two pairs."

"Those two are monoplanes," the pilot explained.

Havoc took aim at one of them. For what he cared, they could have three pairs or none. He was going to shoot them anyway.

"Monoplanes?" Mustang repeated the unfamiliar word he had heard Fuery say, trying to recollect any knowledge he had of it.

"Yes, two monoplanes and four biplanes," Fuery said, as they were almost ready to shoot now.

"Which ones should I take down first?" Roy asked.

"The monoplanes, definitely. They are lighter, faster and easier to maneuver. Damn it, I didn't think they'd have monoplanes in battle already."

Something about Fuery's voice made Roy certain that those two new aircraft were something to fear. The order finally came from the radio, and the commander of the escadrille told everyone to shoot. As the deafening sound echoed from the main gun at the front, the biplane vibrated with the recoil and in seconds, Roy felt his body being tossed to the side by the high speeding turn of the plane. Fuery was in perfect control of the craft, but it didn't feel like it. Roy held on as tightly as he could, not able to trust the seatbelt enough to let go. He looked around, trying to understand where the enemies were now, when the sound of an engine overhead made his head hurt.

"Gosh!" Fuery yelled, as the fighter bomber went over their heads.

After the first shock, Roy pulled himself together and tried to aim at the aircraft that was moving away. He prepared to snap his fingers. He had a nice clean shot. Their airplane suddenly went up, making the fuselage shudder with the air resistance. The gunshot noise that echoed near them made it clear to him that if Fuery had taken another second to go up, they'd be going down now.

An air battle was a lot different from a battle on the ground, Riza found out, as she took aim and fired at the enemy. The enemies moved much faster, and they had to keep moving at incredible speed as well. It wasn't about holding your position, it was about placing all your bets on the high speed and evasive maneuvers. The man flying their airplane dove suddenly to avoid another shot, and she had a perfect chance to shoot another enemy. It lasted only a second, but she didn't pull the trigger. She had to hold on to something while the aircraft went down, but she was quick to notice that she needed ignore the fear of being thrown out of the plane and focus on shooting the enemies.

Fortunately, the fighter bombers were slower. One of them did a particularly risky maneuver to try to shoot the airplane where Breda and Trevor were flying, and the pilot who was flying with Havoc shot it. There was an explosion and the left upper wing caught fire. The plane started to go down in a spiral, until it exploded again still in the air and they saw a small dot jumping from it with a parachute. Of the two men, only one got out. The other one hit the ground with it.

"Five more to go…" Fuery said, although still far from being relieved.

Roy located another enemy ahead of them and prepared to hit it. Fuery was flying towards it, but if he didn't get to shoot it, he would have to turn in order to avoid a collision. That would be his chance. Fuery was going slightly to the left, so Mustang assumed he could fire from the right, but the Sergeant suddenly pulled the airplane up again. Roy cursed, although not loud enough for Fuery to hear. Kain was a great pilot, but Roy soon noticed he liked to pull the plane up to avoid being shot. When the Brigadier General started getting worried that using the same maneuver repeatedly would make things easier for the enemy, Kain did a spiral and avoided another enemy. For a moment, the airplane was upside down and despite being back to its normal position soon, Roy felt like his stomach was still upside down.

"Are okay in there?" Kain asked him.

"Just fly this thing!" he yelled back to the Sergeant.

More shots were heard, followed by an explosion. Fuery and Mustang looked around nervously, trying to figure out who had been shot. They sighed in relief when they saw the green Nymbean biplane struggling not to lose altitude. With another shot from a gray airplane, it was finally taken down. They both looked at the Amestrian plane and saw who had shot. Riza seemed to have already understood how to fight in the air. Roy allowed himself a proud smile, when he saw his Lieutenant doing what she did best.

"_That's right. I can't waste time__,"_ he thought, letting go of the seat and stretching his arm out of the airplane. He looked around, fighting not to just grab the seat again. Fuery did another maneuver and he caught a glimpse of a green fighter bomber. It was only for a very short moment, but Mustang's trained eyes didn't miss it. The fire hit the fuselage and a huge explosion took down the enemy.

"Yeah!" Fuery yelled, very impressed. "Way to go, General!"

"We still have to take three down!"

The two monoplanes were still flying around side by side, posing a great threat. The Amestrian fighters were fast and so far hadn't been hit, but they were at clear disadvantage. A shot hit the upper wing of one of the gray Amestrian biplanes and after losing some altitude, the pilot regained control over the craft. Falman, sitting at the back, grabbed the seat desperately, breathing heavily. He couldn't get to hold the gun for another half minute.

"That was close!" the pilot yelled, and Falman finally got to the machine gun with shaky hands, trying to aim at the enemy.

"_How's your plane?"_ came the voice from the radio.

"We're still in the air, but I can't risk any maneuvers!" the pilot yelled, and Falman repeated his words into the microphone.

"_Hang in there,"_ came the voice from the electronic device.

"Damn it, I'm old for this," Falman mumbled to himself, firing at a monoplane that was close to them.

Another fighter bomber almost met its end when Riza fired from her biplane. She was getting very worried already. Although they had taken down half of the enemies, the pilot flying the plane she was in was avoiding the monoplanes. He seemed to be afraid of them, but they needed to do something. It was then that she saw it, the gray biplane, going down in a steep dive. She caught her breath in desperation when she recognized Fuery and Mustang in the plane that was going down.

The fuselage vibrated with the overwhelming speed. Mustang had his hands free, but it took him hell of an effort to keep them that way. He could feel that the seatbelt was the only thing keeping him from being thrown out of the plane. The wind blew at him like it was going to tear the skin off his face, but his eyes were well-protected by the goggles. That would be his only chance. Either he got them both, or they would be shot. He heard the noise increase in volume terribly and there they were, the two green machines flashed ahead, for less than a split second. Fuery had things under control, or at least he hoped so.

"Get them!" Kain yelled, like their lives depended on it. Roy gritted his teeth, knowing that in fact their lives did depend on it. Fuery's favorite evasive maneuver would make them an easy target in that situation.

The two monoplanes exploded so close to them that they could feel the heat almost like the flames had licked their own plane. Then, with a violent turn, the airplane pulled up, and Roy managed to see how close to the ground they had gotten. He could only be thankful for Kain's skills as a pilot.

"You did it! You _freaking_ did it!" Fuery shouted hysterically, laughing loudly.

Riza could barely believe it when the biplane went up in the air and crossed in front of them, turning around. Despite all the noise coming from the engine of their own plane, Riza and the man flying their plane could hear Fuery shouting. The lad's voice echoed until their plane was too far for them to hear him.

At last, the remaining fighter-bomber was taken down by a shot from Havoc, who was feeling so sick he was determined to go back to the ground no matter what.

The rest of the flight could have been considered enjoyable, it could. It wasn't long, as they had been attacked near Central. Fuery was the third to land on the runway. When the plane came to a halt and soldiers were running towards them to check on them, the lad unbuckled and turned around to Roy, who was trying to get out.

"You did great, sir!" Fuery complimented him enthusiastically. "Just to think of it, on your first flight! I'm surprised you didn't faint with a vertical dive like that!"

Roy didn't answer, he just tumbled out of the plane ungraciously, relieved to have his feet back on the ground.

"And you got the two monoplanes at once!" Kain continued.

That would be a nice story to tell the other pilots from Airbase 3 in Xing. They had dived vertically from a high position and gone between the two monoplanes. Roy had used his alchemy to explode the two enemies at the same time, and Fuery had pulled up at the last moment, right on time to avoid a ground collision.

"Honestly, I was worried about it, but I have to admit it was a great idea, Brigadier General," Fuery said with a wide smile still on his face as he spoke quickly and nonstop.

"Sergeant…" Roy said, rubbing his sweat damp forehead.

"Huh?"

It was only then that Fuery noticed that Roy's face was really pale, and he didn't seem to be feeling well.

"Are you all right?"

"Damn it… You, Sergeant, are crazy!" he burst out, before walking away unsteadily. "A great pilot, yes. Congratulations on that, but nevertheless _crazy_! I'm going to throw up…"

Fuery laughed and followed his superior. Other soldiers were waiting for them at the runway, and they all gathered before going to Central headquarters. This was only the beginning. The true challenge had yet to be faced.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**April 13****th****, 1918**

"Mustang?"

All the people in the room started talking at the same time. Most of them wore blue military uniforms, but some were dressed in civilian clothes. All the chairs had been taken and yet, many men were standing. In that exact moment, there wasn't a soul in the meeting room who could keep quiet.

Roy waited for the noise to drop down a little so he could be heard. Next to him, two of the most influential men in the Secret Intelligence Force asked the others to be quiet.

"It was the Fuhrer's plan from the beginning," General Vincent Carlisle, one of the minds behind the S.I.F. explained.

"We know he had plans, we just didn't think Mustang was part of them."

"Grumman designated a ghost to replace him?" another man replied with scorn, getting nods of approval from many others.

"I'm not sure he's the best choice."

"However, he did know how to act and keep his cool in times of crisis before," an old man added.

"Would you mind telling us where you were all this time, Brigadier General Mustang?"

"While we were getting our asses blown up by fighter-bombers?" another soldier said.

Mustang took a step forward, not looking away from the crowd that eyed him accusingly. He wouldn't expect anything different after all this time. Right behind him, Lieutenant Hawkeye hid her nervousness by keeping a neutral expression on her face. She wanted to be able to do something, to help and protect him, but this was a battle Roy would have to fight alone. She could only support him, but couldn't protect him from those men.

"When Fuhrer Grumman told me to leave the country, I confess I even considered not following his order. I wanted to fight and protect Amestris. Leaving this country and staying away for a whole year was the most difficult experience I've ever been through," Roy said with his usual confident voice.

"And what exactly were you doing during your vacation in Aerugo? Did you stay in the refugee camp all this time?" someone else asked in a rude tone.

"No. I was working in a factory."

"A factory? You? One might think you were chasing skirts around, not doing some real work."

"No, I wasn't _chasing skirts_," Roy replied in a slightly annoyed tone.

"So you intend to become Fuhrer," another General said.

"That's what we have been fighting for," General Carlisle said. "Grumman explained to us the reasons for him to choose Mustang, and we believe in his choice. We all remember his actions when our country was threatened by those homunculi, years ago."

"We do remember, but did Fuhrer Grumman really know what he was doing as the cancer crippled him?" another voice said.

The last comment incited different responses. Some people approved it, while most didn't like it at all. Grumman had been considered to be a good Fuhrer despite his actions during the war, and not many people stood up to criticize him. After a few more minutes of loud discussion, Carlisle and the other men in charge of the S.I.F. managed to get everyone to calm down.

"And what exactly are you going to do about Nymbe? You can't expect them to politely accept you as the new Fuhrer," the female voice echoed in the room, making everybody else turn around.

Roy recognized the owner of that voice even before he saw the blond Major General take a step forward. Olivier Armstrong always spoke in a cold confident tone, and there was no way one could mistake her voice for somebody else's.

"We are going to unify the army and fight together."

"By 'unify the army', you mean…" another man asked.

"Getting the rebels to join us again and considering anyone who doesn't fight on our side an enemy. Amestrian or not," Mustang finally explained. "From now on, anyone who is still in favor of obeying to Nymbe's orders should be considered a traitor."

Most of the people seemed to agree to this line of thought. The few who expressed otherwise were mostly civilians, from the extinct parliament that helped Grumman rule the country before the war had started.

"In times like this drastic measures are sure necessary. I still think you are too soft for the job, though," Olivier said, crossing her arms in obvious distrust.

"And what about the enemy airplanes? The S.I.F. has been hiding a lot from us, but I know our air force is not big enough to fight them."

"We have the location of their air bases in Creta, we can bombard them," Mustang told them.

Roy wanted to give them more details, but the last piece of information caused a much bigger commotion. Everyone started talking loudly at the same time, their hopes being fueled once more. For the next hour, they discussed the possibility of attacking the airbases in Creta to prevent more bombardments. Little by little, Roy started to gain their trust. However, there were still few who approved of getting the rebels to join them again.

"They're a bunch of undisciplined hooligans, that's what they are! I can't even believe they entrusted one of them with the mission of bringing the Brigadier General back!" a short grey-haired man, Brigadier General like Mustang, said in anger, pointing a finger at Havoc, who had been quiet all this time. He had been guarding the door and wasn't even taking part in the discussion, but the other soldier had now made everyone's eyes turn to him.

As they all expected, Havoc said nothing. He knew better than talking back, especially after he had left the army to join the rebellion. However, he turned to stare back at the soldier who had criticized him, and he didn't seem pleased at all. His expression was slightly challenging, so Mustang raised a hand in the air, like telling him not to do anything.

"It's time to fight for something bigger than our own pride," Roy started to say. "We all had our hearts in the right place, soldiers or rebels. We all did what we thought was best for our country and the people. Now it's time to overcome our differences. We can't fight alone, but together, we can overpower Nymbe's army."

"And do you expect those rebels to obey you? Do you trust a man who shot his superiors?"

"Excuse me, sir," Havoc said to Mustang.

"No. Don't say anything." Roy told him, before turning back to the others. "The men he shot were not his superiors. They were Nymbean soldiers, our enemies, and they were killing our people. His loyalty is to our country, not our enemy, regardless the situation. The rebels will be loyal to us once we are also loyal to ourselves," he explained, as he had already asked Havoc about the incident and knew of his subordinate's reasons for doing what he had done at that time. "We all want the same thing, to have our country back," Mustang added. "We will gather the rebellion leaders and give them the chance to fight under our command again. If they don't accept it, then they'll become our enemies as well."

"Should they be punished for their behavior?"

"Not if they accept to come back, but we'll keep an eye on them," Roy explained.

"We can't blame our soldiers for thinking for themselves when we failed to do so," Armstrong said in agreement. "We may not like it, but we need manpower."

"Mustang and Armstrong have a point," someone admitted.

"We need someone strong to rule this country. I find it hard to believe that someone as young as Mustang will get the respect a leader needs. The rebels won't listen to him."

"He needs support from us," Carlisle said. "If we doubt our choice they will doubt it too."

"Major General Armstrong is very well respected in the North. If she were to marry him, they would have much more authority," said General Andrew Hodgins, another head of the S.I.F.

There was a moment of silence in the room. The idea seemed pretty crazy to anyone who knew Olivier Armstrong. Mustang turned to Hodgins, very surprised at the suggestion, but before he could say anything, Major General Armstrong spoke.

"You can't honestly think I would marry him?" she said in the most offended tone possible.

"I wouldn't be able to accept that offer, General Hod-" Roy started to say.

"Nobody offered you anything you cretin!" Armstrong interrupted him.

"Considering your young age, you could get a lot more respect if you married someone as important as her," Hodgins explained. "We all have to make sacrifices."

"I can't marry her," Roy said, plucking up all the courage he had and facing the others like a defendant faces a jury in a trial. "This is a sacrifice I'm not willing to make. No."

"It _might _not be a bad idea, actually. Getting married would look good for you, Mustang. Especially considering you had quite a reputation in East City," Carlisle said, turning against him for the first time.

"Not just in East City," someone else said and a few people snickered.

"I can't," Mustang repeated in a serious tone. "I have nothing against getting married, but there's only one woman I would marry."

The conversation had definitely led Mustang to a corner. There was no way he could run now. Talking with such innocence, when facing the real challenge of a war didn't seem right. Love didn't mean much at times like that. Indeed, everyone was silent for the first time since the meeting had started. Hawkeye found herself hoping that Roy wouldn't choose that moment to tell them about their relationship, but he probably wouldn't have another choice now.

"Don't tell me you are in love… We are here talking about the future of this country and you come to tell us you've fallen in love?"

"Let the idiot be in love. I wouldn't accept to marry him and become the housewife anyway," Olivier said dismissively.

"No one would expect you to become a housewife," Hodgins answered.

"I hope you mean it, Brigadier General," one of the men from the parliament complained.

"I mean it," Roy answered, not intimidated, taking a few steps back.

"_No, no… Not now Roy…" _Riza thought, but she knew it was useless. Her superior stopped by her side and placed a hand on the small of her back before facing everyone's incredulous looks.

"First Lieutenant Hawkeye?" Hodgins was the first to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Are you trying to make fools of us?" Carlisle snapped. "We are fighting for you and you choose this moment to provide us with a scandal?"

A loud laugh erupted, making everyone turn to Olivier.

"What's so funny?" Carlisle asked her angrily.

"Nothing. It just amazes me to see what a hypocrite you can be. Everyone knows you were shacking up with your secretary for months, even though you _are_ married. And still you criticize him," she said.

General Carlisle turned pink, then red, and finally a violent tone of purple.

"She's right, it's not the moment to criticize him," Hodgins said.

"What do you mean she's right? Do you think I'm a hypocrite?" Carlisle turned to him, fuming.

"I'm not talking about you. And this would only be a scandal if we made one out of it," Hodgins explained.

"Well, I hope Grumman's golden boy, in love or not, won't disappoint us," Paul Doryan, one of the members of the parliament, said.

Mustang had already discussed with them his plans to give back the authority the parliament had before, once he became Fuhrer. Now on top of all, he had the entire parliament on his side. Carlisle demanded the matter to be voted and everybody agreed. On that night, at April 13, 1918, Roy Mustang would be nominated Fuhrer of Amestris.

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**A/N: ** Yay! Finally! The moment everyone was expecting! Roy's become the Fuhrer of Amestris! Let me know what you thought of the chapter, hehe! Thanks a lot for reading and I see you next Friday! Those of you who celebrate Easter, have a Happy Easter! The ones who don't, have a great weekend!


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **Just in case you're wondering (which I'm sure you're not), I don't own FMA.

I want to say thank you to Royal Duke Armadilloer III, Fabi Washu, KageNoNeko, ssadropout, Aieika, Canata Blue, Theiving Alchemist, hawkeyeflame1921, animelover199514, ILoveAnonymity, Hollowmist, lecchan and Hina Kita for your great reviews!

I also want to say a big thank you to my awesome beta-reader, ssadropout!

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**Chapter 21 – Getting the Train Back on t****he Tracks**

**April 15****th****, 1918 **

The hall was silent that day, as it had been for some time. The thumping of feet coming down the stairs didn't even call Harold's attention. He had just gotten a cup of coffee and sat down to read the daily newspaper. He was eager to find something about Amestris and the war there. He sure missed the young couple that had stayed with them for months.

"Any news?" Aidan's pleading eyes met his for only half a second, before Harold looked at the front page.

"I don't know ye-" the old man started, stopped for a second, then stood up suddenly, the newspaper still in his hands. "Holy Mother of God!"

"What?" Aidan asked in desperation, jumping and trying to see what had startled the old man. Hope and Nancy heard him and came running from the kitchen, asking what was going on.

The gardener read the news out loud to all of them, who listened to him openmouthed.

"Fuhrer Grumman's successor, Brigadier General Roy Mustang, has unified the army and ended the rebellion all in one day, when he ordered the rebel soldiers to join the army again and fight on their side. The Amestrian parliament, previously dismantled by Nymbe, has been given its authority back. Amestris does not answer to Nymbe anymore."

There was a lot more to read about the war and Mustang in the article, but the first paragraph alone was already enough to get them all so surprised that they wouldn't have the presence of mind to read the rest of it for another ten or fifteen minutes.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Many miles away from there, in a land that hadn't known peace for over a year now, soldiers gathered in Central, getting ready for battle. Rebels were putting on the Amestrian uniform another time, proud of joining the army again. Troops arrived from many places and one coming a long way from the North had just crossed the gates of Central Headquarters. It was a small but well-trained troop that had come from Briggs. Their commander was waiting to meet with the new Fuhrer and discuss strategies. He had been designated by Olivier herself, and Roy was already expecting to see someone he knew.

First Lieutenant Havoc was already tired of standing by the door. Mustang had put him in charge of security, since he needed someone he could trust, once the political situation was still very unstable, and political assassination wasn't an unthinkable scenario. The Fuhrer had spent the whole day in meetings, planning their actions against Nymbe. Havoc had stood there the whole time and although he was tired, he was glad to be able to follow everything so closely. Mustang and Hawkeye's security was now his responsibility, and he had taken the job very seriously from the beginning. Two days and all the lower-rank soldiers under his command were already terrified of him because he would go ballistic if he even suspected them of slacking off.

Once the last meeting was over, the generals left the room for a moment, but Roy stayed with Riza, hoping to rest a little before heading his new office. Too much had happened on the last couple of days, and Roy just wished for some time to talk to Riza about anything that wasn't related to the war.

"You really had no idea about Grumman?" Roy asked Riza casually, leaning back on his chair.

By their side, Havoc rolled his shoulders once and straightened his hair, relaxing a little. The tense atmosphere seemed to have partially dissipated.

"No. Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are," Riza replied.

Grumman didn't have much money when he died due to the crisis the country was in. Many resources the army had used had come from his own pocket, in his desperate attempt to keep the army together. However, he had left a few family heirlooms to his only granddaughter. Nobody had known who that was until Grumman's lawyers went public with his will. Lieutenant Hawkeye, did know her mother had the same surname as Fuhrer Grumman before marrying her father, and therefore was probably related to him somehow. However, she hadn't expected her to be his daughter.

"It's funny. He had asked me if I didn't want to marry his granddaughter. I had no idea it was you he was talking about. I thought he was just joking," Roy said.

"Didn't he ask you about us before?" Hawkeye asked.

"He actually asked me a lot about you. If there was anything between you and me, if you liked your job, if Ishbal… still bothered you."

Riza sighed. She didn't know her grandfather's reasons for not letting her know, but she did wonder about it. Maybe Grumman didn't get along with her father, as not many people did. Still, she liked to think that maybe he didn't want anyone to think her good career in the army had anything to do with him, and thus he hadn't said anything before.

"Has Major General Armstrong told you who the commander of this troop coming from Briggs is?" Riza asked Roy, changing the topic.

"No, she only said she wanted to get rid of him and that's why she sent him here," Roy said in a bored tone, closing his eyes.

Despite not opposing to Mustang becoming Fuhrer, Olivier didn't like Roy, and they weren't surprised that she hadn't been more helpful. The situation in the North was always tense because of Drachma, another neighboring country. Therefore, Olivier wouldn't send many soldiers to Central because she needed them there.

Roy opened his eyes again when Riza placed a hand on his knee. He smiled fondly at her, and then remembered they still weren't alone.

"Lieutenant Havoc, I think you should watch the door from outside," Mustang said in a casual tone.

Jean laughed mischievously. "I'd be glad to, sir," he said, before leaving the room and standing outside in the corridor. Roy pulled his chair closer to Riza and placed a quick kiss on her lips, before asking her if she was tired.

"I'm fine. I'm just worried about you," she said.

"I'm all right, as long as you're here with me," he said, taking her hand and caressing her fingertips, calloused from handling weapons.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door, and Roy had to make an effort not to curse. They had managed to be alone for not more than two or three minutes. Havoc came inside again, with an expression that made it clear he was trying hard to look serious.

"The commander of Briggs' troop is here to speak with you, sir," he announced in a slightly weird tone.

Roy and Riza stared at each for a second, before standing up. There was something Havoc wasn't telling them, but Roy didn't feel like trying to guess what it was now. He ordered the Lieutenant to let the commander in, and Jean opened the door, immediately stepping to the side to let this huge man walk in. The commander of the Briggs' troop could have been mistaken for a bull charging.

"Fuhrer Mustang, I'm glad to meet you again!" the roaring voice filled the room with violence as the man in blue uniform went straight to Roy in a way that would be considered threatening if they didn't know him well enough already.

"Major Armstrong!" Mustang said in surprise when Alex Armstrong bowed before him.

"I must say I'm touched by your courage. To admit your love in front of all those people!" Alex burst out, a tear of emotion sprouting from his eyes.

Both Roy and Riza took a step backwards, looking utterly disconcerted. Havoc seemed to be enjoying the situation. He watched them in silence, puckering his lips in a huge attempt not to laugh.

"It's good to see you… safe and sound… Major." Roy said, hoping that the scene would end at that.

"Nymbe ordered my execution, but I like to think that their attack has only made me stronger, nothing else!" the man said, taking off the glove Roy and Riza hadn't noticed he was wearing. In a swift movement, Alex Armstrong took off his jacket as well, to exhibit a steel arm.

"Automail?" Riza observed as the Major moved his arm around showing them all the scary features of his northern combat automail.

"Precisely. They tried to kill me, and they gave me a weapon to fight them!"

"I'm glad to see you're still an optimist," Roy said, pulling his chair to sit down again.

He didn't make it to the chair, because Alex pulled him to a hug first.

"I can't say how happy I am for the two of you," the Major said in between low sobs, not willing to let go of the man just yet.

"Have I mentioned that I don't like to be hugged by men?" Roy managed to say, feeling like most of the air in his lungs had been squeezed out of his chest. Armstrong didn't seem to care about his complaint.

Riza tried hard not to laugh at the ridiculous situation, knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to escape from a hug herself. The news of their relationship had traveled across the country much faster than they had expected. Everyone was talking about them, and the population didn't seem to care if they worked together or not. For them there was no such thing as a scandal as the S.I.F. had feared. In fact, they were now Amestris' new hope for a better future.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**April 16****th****, 1918 **

The sun was about to set and Amestrian planes were landing in the main airbase in Central City. A massive attack against Nymbean airbases in Creta had been organized, based on information Edward had collected. Nymbe had been gathering their airplanes for combat in the airbases near the border between Creta and Amestris before they were attacked. Having little time to answer to the bombardments, the Nymbean airbases had been crushed.

Now the information about the combats had reached Amestris main headquarters, and although most people in the Central Airbase just wanted to celebrate the successful mission, not everyone was happy. Quite a few Amestrian airplanes hadn't come back yet.

There was little information on the pilots flying the fighters and bombers. Despite their advantage due to the surprise attack, some Amestrian aircraft had been taken down by machinegun shots and even cannon balls. Several Amestrian flags would be wrapped around coffins during the next couple of days.

The short-haired girl watched the sky attentively, holding her breath every time another biplane showed. All of them landed, many pilots came to greet their friends, but the one she was expecting still hadn't arrived. Many soldiers strode from side to side; others still watched the sky from the towers; many pilots were ready to go up in the air in case of an attack. Everybody was awaiting the pilots' return, and although the atmosphere was mostly quiet, everyone feared an attack.

"What's taking you so long?" she said, more to herself than to anyone else.

She barely heard the steps behind her. By her side, Hayate, the dog Kain had left with her, barked friendly to the soldier who had just arrived.

"Nothing?" Havoc asked.

"No."

The Lieutenant suppressed a sudden wish to curse, afraid of making the girl even more worried. He had only managed to come to the runway because Mustang and Hawkeye were now in the airbase, and he really hoped Fuery, who had taken part in the attack to the military targets in Creta, would come back before he had to leave again.

"Shit, why didn't he arrive yet?"

"I don't know, Kayleigh. But there are still many airplanes coming," Jean said.

He had met Kain's girlfriend, Kayleigh, in Airbase 3 in Xing and knew she would be utterly worried until Fuery came back.

"I hope nothing bad happened. Damn, it can't be. He has to be alright," she continued, and Havoc didn't know what to say to make her feel better.

They were quiet for a moment, when another plane came and landed. The pilot and the radio operator came out, but they didn't look like Fuery. Kayleigh cursed again.

"I fixed his plane, I checked it twice… I hope it flew all right."

"Calm down. You're a great mechanic, I'm sure you did your best," Havoc said to the girl.

"It's just… Damn, I love that crazy pilot. What am I going to do if something happens to him? Just to think that when we met it took me about two months to learn his name…"

Havoc laughed at the comment. He had heard the story that Kayleigh had trouble remembering names so she had called Kain 'New Guy' for quite some time before they became lovers. Their friendship had begun late at night, drinking at the bar after a long day's work and had evolved into something more over the next couple of months.

"If only he wasn't so crazy when flying that thing I wouldn't be so worried!" Kayleigh complained out loud another time.

Another fifteen minutes went by and the sun disappeared behind the horizon. When there was almost nobody still waiting at the runway, a biplane showed up at the sky, leaving an awful trail of smoke behind.

"That guy over there must have taken some damage," Havoc observed.

The damaged biplane landed roughly, and Kayleigh took a couple of steps forward, trying to distinguish the pilot. The short man who jumped off the aircraft took off his helmet and goggles, and Havoc knew who it was before he could see his face. Kayleigh was already dashing down the runway to hug the lad in relief, followed by Hayate.

"What the hell happened to you?" she yelled, hugging Fuery tight then moving away a little to check a burn on his forehead.

"We were shot. We almost fell to the ground," Kain said with a tired voice.

The radio operator got off the airplane as well, looking really pale. The flight sure had been scary, with the plane threatening to stop functioning and fall down during the whole way back.

"We managed to destroy most of the enemy airbases completely," Fuery announced, earning a smile from both Havoc and Kayleigh.

"You're not going back to battle now, are you?" Kayleigh asked.

"Not now. No way. The plane is in no condition to fly," Fuery said while they started walking back to the main building.

"Good, because I have something to tell you," Kayleigh said hesitatingly.

Fuery stopped walking, as he heard Kayleigh tell him what she was so nervous to tell. Havoc looked at his friend's surprised face and thought it would be better to leave them alone. There was something funny about the situation, but the Lieutenant felt he had no business there now.

"You're pregnant?" Jean still heard Fuery say in a shocked tone.

"Yeah…" Kayleigh confirmed it.

"Pregnant?"

"Pretty sure of it. Yeah. What do we do now?" she asked, slightly embarrassed.

"What do you mean? Well, I… I know you didn't want to have a family so soon, but… Darn…"

"I thought you wanted a family one day."

"I did, I did," Fuery said in a hurry. "It's just… First I wanted… Oh, this isn't how I had planned to do this but…"

The Sergeant got something in his breast pocket and knelt down, truly hoping not to blush.

"What are you doing?" Kayleigh asked.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, showing her the silver ring he had bought. It was pretty simple, but he knew Kayleigh wouldn't mind it, and he couldn't afford anything more expensive.

"Because I'm pregnant?"

"Actually I was planning to propose when the war was over," Kain said, still on his knee. "I know I should do this in some fancy restaurant, but… well… this is the moment for you to say something…" he added nervously, already feeling his cheeks turn red.

"I should definitely say something… Yes," she replied playfully.

"Yes?"

"Yes, I want to marry you," Kayleigh said with a laugh, pulling Kain's hand so he'd stand up, and kissing him.

The night had finally arrived and it was getting dark in the runway. The lamps were turned on, shining their light on the couple. Soldiers passing by pretended not to look at them, but the fact was that most people around were watching the scene and enjoying the short moment of happiness in the middle of all the craziness of the war.

"You know, there's no need for fancy restaurants. Proposing in an airbase is just perfect," Kayleigh said, as they slowly walked back to the hangars, holding hands.

"I have to agree with you," Kain said.

"Let's go join the party, Speeding Bullet."

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**April 17****th****, 1918**

The sun was up in the sky and the soldiers who looked down didn't see their shadows on the ground. It was around noon and it was a hot day. Their uniforms were bothering them because of the heat, but they wouldn't complain. Instead, they hid behind the walls of the empty streets, carefully approaching the main square of the small Amestrian town where some Nymbean soldiers still resisted. Their orders were to arrest the enemies and avoid bloodshed if possible.

Shots were heard and everyone ducked behind the barricades on the asphalt. A few panicked voices screamed and a hand grenade was thrown. An explosion followed, but nobody was injured. A wall had emerged from the ground and blocked the hand grenade.

"It's good to have an alchemist on our side," one of the Amestrian soldiers said.

"Well, I wouldn't sit at home watching those stupid Nymbean kids make a mess in my town, would I?" a woman said, touching the ground again and changing it, making part of it rise towards the enemies. Izumi Curtis enjoyed the peace of her town and would sure fight to get it back.

More panicked screams and then silence. After a few seconds, a young soldier, probably around nineteen or twenty years old, raised his hands and walked slowly towards the Amestrian troop.

"I surrender," he said trembling, his voice giving away his fear. He was an easy target now, standing in the middle of the street.

"It might be a trap," one of the Amestrian soldiers said.

"Should I shoot him?"

"No, I'll go," a young Amestrian soldier said, putting his gun down and calling the enemy soldier.

He checked the Nymbean lad for any weapons, only to see he didn't have anything but for a gun with no ammunition. The Nymbean troop resisting in that area barely had any weapons left. They were fighting out of fear of being executed. Most of the soldiers still fighting inside Amestris had been isolated and had no access to food supplies or ammunition. Many of them had already surrendered, once they heard captured enemies were being treated reasonably.

"Go tell your comrades that if you all surrender you won't be executed."

The lad nodded, walking back to the rest of the group, hands always above his head. Not long after, the rest of the troop came out of hiding. They were all very young and their commander, the first one to come and the oldest soldier there, couldn't be more than twenty-four or twenty-five years old.

Once every enemy soldier in that area had been arrested, the S.I.F. was informed through the radio. The agents who heard the transmission celebrated the news, laughing at the ironic situation. Nymbe had fought hard to arrest all the alchemists and now had lost another battle because of one single alchemist.

"Can't blame them for being afraid of alchemists," Breda said, making the other S.I.F. agents laugh.

"Not at all, man. But now we need to take the news to Central."

"Have they fixed the power lines Nymbe destroyed?"

"No, not yet," Breda replied. "We can't wait for radio communication to be restored. I'm going there myself."

"Are you driving to Central?"

"No way. I have an airplane waiting for me in Airbase 12. I'll fly to Central, it's safer."

The other agents looked at each other, thinking that safer or not, they would rather drive than fly.

"Is it true that Fuhrer Mustang flew with you to Central and you were attacked? People have been spreading so many rumors we don't know what to believe anymore," another agent asked.

"Not only did he fly with us, but he also took down three out of the six enemy airplanes that attacked us with his fire alchemy," Breda told them, proud to say he was there to see it all.

"Whoa… They must really hate alchemy now, if they didn't before."

Everyone laughed and decided to go back to work. Things were under control inside the country now, especially due to information provided by the rebellion leaders who had joined the army again. However, the situation in the borders was still pretty tense. Nymbe still had control over Creta, but was now having trouble with Cretan insurgents as well. Many soldiers in Creta had rebelled against Nymbe; Xing had sent troops to Amestris to help protect the borders; and even Aerugo had attacked a neighboring country that was Nymbe's ally. The situation had changed completely once Nymbe didn't pose such a big threat as before. Previously, nobody wished to stand up against the powerful Nymbean air force. Now, as the Nymbean fighterbombers started to be taken down before they could get to their targets, Nymbe didn't scare other nations as much.

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**A/N: **The situation is finally improving now, and the fic will have only a few more chapters. I'm doing some editing to the next one, and as I have a lot of other things to do, I warn you that the next chapter might come a little late. I'll do my best to post it on Friday as usual, but if I don't, there's no need to worry about me. It's just my crazy schedule trying to kill me. So, thanks a lot to everyone who's reading. Please leave a review if you have the time. I'll see you (hopefully) next Friday!


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything!

I want to say thanks to Toushirou-chan, Theiving Alchemist, animelover199514, Hina Kita, StarCatcher1858, IcePhantom, Royal Duke Armadilloer III, lecchan, Hollowmist, ILoveAnonymity, ssadropout, snakebite3 and aaorangenime for your great reviews!

I also want to say a big thank you to my beta reader, who was awesome and managed to revise my chapter so quickly.

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**Chapter 22 ****– The Last ****Bombing**

**April 20****th****, 1918**

The clean air of the countryside in Aerugo was great, but the best thing was the silence. Edward walked slowly down the road, his weak body complaining at the physical effort. He didn't mind it though, because all he wanted to do now was to get home. He had called from the train station to let his family know he was coming back, so he should meet Alphonse soon. His brother had asked him to wait at the station, but Ed just wanted to be home as soon as possible. He kept on for another half an hour before he saw a small dot far away. The dot became bigger and bigger and Ed finally recognized the short blond hair and the smiling face. Alphonse took off on a sprint, greeting him with a relieved hug.

"You're back!" the lad yelled, as all the worrying and the nights thinking bad things were erased from his mind at once. None of that mattered now. His brother was back. "I can't believe you're finally home!"

"I'm back, yeah!" Edward replied with a broad smile, hugging his younger brother back. "How are Winry and Benjamin?"

"They're fine, and you? Are you injured?" Alphonse asked in a hurry.

"I got injured, but I'm fine now. I met Mustang, Hawkeye and the others. They saved my life."

"What?"

They started walking back to the farm, while Edward and Alphonse took turns telling each other about their last days. Alphonse wanted to know about Ed's mission in Creta, but all Edward wanted to talk about was Benjamin, the son he hadn't met yet.

"He looks just like you, brother… And he's so smart!" Alphonse said with a big smile on his face.

"With a mother like his, he'll be playing with tools before he learns how to walk," Ed said in a good mood.

"I wouldn't be surprised."

They talked about the baby for most of the way home, and Edward caught himself expecting a flying wrench to hit him on the head when they arrived. However, no tools were thrown at him this time. Winry was waiting on the porch, with the baby in her arms. Edward smiled at her hesitatingly. She had been against him accepting such a risky mission, but he had convinced her he would be safe since he knew Creta well. And the mission had almost cost him his life.

"Are you angry at me?" Edward asked her with a guilty smile.

"I should be, but I'm just happy that you are home," Winry said, with tears in her eyes.

The lad walked to her and finally got to see their son. The baby had eyes just like his father and fair hair. He looked at Edward, who held his small hands fascinated. The miracle of life had presented him with a lovely child.

"Look Ben, it's Daddy. Daddy's home," Winry said, as the little boy grabbed Edward's index finger, looking at his face with curiosity.

"He's perfect," Edward said.

"Of course he is," Winry joked.

Little Benjamin shook his hands a little, looked at his mom, then at his hands again as a drop fell on top of his right wrist. Winry raised her head to look at Edward and couldn't remember the last time she had seen that.

"Are you crying?"

"I'm sorry. I can't help it," Edward said in an unsteady voice, as their son let go of his index finger and grabbed his middle finger instead.

"You don't have to apologize for crying, you know," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, I know," Edward replied, taking a step closer and kissing Winry.

Alphonse watched the scene, also fighting the tears that were coming. Soon they would be able to go back to Amestris, and hopefully Benjamin would grow up in the same town where they all had been raised. The quiet farming town of Resembool had always been their home.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**April 29****th****, 1918 **

Early meetings were quite common in times of war, but this meeting had actually started shortly after seven and lasted quite a few hours already. Mustang studied the most recent information the S.I.F. had gathered and showed a couple of files to Hawkeye. Falman and Breda, who were with the S.I.F., had joined them for the meeting and were going through some paperwork, organizing the documents, while the generals discussed their plans for the ongoing combat on the southeast border.

"The two Xingese troops in that area have no condition to fight anymore. The border there is secured now, so we should send an extra troop to guarantee their safe return to Xing," Mustang said, casting an eye upon General Carlisle, who immediately started to list the troops Amestris had in that area that could escort the Xingese soldiers back home.

"We'll make contact with Lieutenant Colonel Trekker by radio."

The meeting took another couple of hours, and once all matters were solved, the soldiers all left the room. Havoc escorted Mustang and Hawkeye back to their office as usual, but this time Falman and Breda followed them. Mustang still had a lot of reports to read and sign, and he wanted some help organizing everything. Missing the time when they all worked together at Mustang's cramped office, Falman and Breda had both volunteered to take care of that.

"If Fuery were here as well it would be just like in the old times…" Breda said, separating the already revised documents from the ones that still needed corrections.

"Didn't General Severski say he was going to send him here to bring the reports about aircraft losses?" Riza asked Roy.

"Yes, I think those reports were ready, but he was going to come here only in the evening," Mustang replied.

"Why don't you ask him to bring it now? We'd all like to see him and… congratulate him," Havoc said in a tone that made it obvious they actually wanted to tease him for getting his girlfriend pregnant.

Mustang got on the phone and called Severski, asking him to have the pilot bring the documents right away. One hour later, when everyone was still in the office, finishing up with the reports and documents from the previous meetings, there was a knock on the door and someone stumbled in hurriedly, breathing heavily.

"I came as fast I could, sir," Kain said, holding a briefcase.

"Lovely… your brilliant idea almost got him killed," Breda said to Havoc, and they laughed at an incredulous Fuery, who couldn't understand what the hell was so funny.

Once they told the pilot everything was all right and congratulated him properly for deciding to marry his girlfriend, Fuery sat down to rest a little and answer a few questions from his curious friends.

"Do you still have your old apartment?"

"No, it was rented. I want to make a down payment for something cheap here in Central. We'll need a place to stay when our baby is born," Fuery replied.

"And when are you getting married?"

"We're thinking of the last week of May or the beginning of June if possible."

"So soon?"

"Kayleigh doesn't want to get married with a big belly and all. But you're all invited. I just haven't sent any invitations yet."

"I'll let you know about the days of our meetings so you schedule it on a good day," Mustang said to Fuery.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Riza and I plan to attend to your wedding ceremony, so you can't schedule it on just any day, you know," Roy explained, making Fuery slightly nervous as he realized his wedding would get a lot more attention than he had planned.

"And what about the two of you?" Havoc asked Mustang and Hawkeye. "Looking forward to your big day?"

"Another week," Falman added and they all smiled.

Roy had already gone public about his relationship with Riza, so there had been a lot of pressure for them to get married as soon as possible. Roy had complained because he hadn't had the opportunity to propose to Riza in a more appropriate way, but in fact they were happy that they could just get married and leave all the criticism behind for once and for all. Having the whole country follow their lives and gossip about them wasn't exactly pleasant.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**June**** 4****th****, 1918**

The Amestrian border had been under constant attack by Nymbean forces for days. In one last attempt at regaining control of Amestris, the bombing had been resumed, and Nymbean tanks had been pushing against the Amestrian troops. Amestrian airplanes had been destroying enemy tanks and soldiers who were fighting on the ground had been having a tough time resisting. However, fueled by the Fuhrer's speeches demanding them to protect their country and the civilian population, the Amestrian military fought with all their strength.

"I thought being in a plane during a battle was bad, but being under them during an attack is even worse," Falman complained to another soldier, as they watched the sky from one of the radio towers near the capital. Both soldiers were in charge of that post and of sending any important information by radio to Central.

"I couldn't say anything. I've never been on a plane," the other soldier replied, looking at a crater on the ground about fifty meters from their tower. A Nymbean aircraft had attacked them the day before, but had missed the tower and had been taken down on its way to another military facility.

Their conversation was suddenly cut short by the deafening sound of a siren. That meant enemy planes were coming. Despite their wish to go hide from a possible bombing, Falman and the other man turned to the sky, trying to see any enemy airplanes.

"_Enemy aircraft are heading toward Central!_" a voice yelled from the radio, but they already knew that. Far away, some black dots were on the sky, quickly going to the capital.

Fuhrer Mustang was discussing military strategies with his generals when they heard the siren ring at the headquarters. It was a sound that usually made everyone's hearts skip a beat. They all stood up in a hurry, as a short soldier walked in the room, saying the enemies were going to reach the city in a few minutes. Although most of the Nymbean airforce had been destroyed, air attacks always posed a significant threat, especially when they aimed at the new Fuhrer, currently considered by Nymbe the main reason for Amestris organized counteraction.

"We have to take the Fuhrer to a safer place. We are an obvious target," General Hodgins ordered.

"Did Riza finish her meeting?" Roy asked Carlisle worriedly.

"She should have finished by now."

Riza would be with Roy during most of the meetings, but she would often work on her own, which Roy didn't like much, but couldn't do anything about. The S.I.F. had taken advantage of the fact that she was also a soldier and had put her in charge of many things. That meant she spent a lot of time away from Roy, and he always feared she might become a target.

"She just left with Major Armstrong to inspect the barracks," another soldier said.

"Dammit," Roy cursed, turning to Havoc, who was already by his side, waiting for orders. "Go find Lieut… my wife," he told Jean nervously. He still wasn't used to calling her that, although it felt good not to have to hide anything from anyone.

"Yes, Sir!" Havoc replied quickly.

"She'll be safe. Armstrong is a powerful alchemist," Hodgins said.

"I don't care. There's no such thing as 'safe' during a bombardment," Roy said nervously, leaving the room for the air-raid shelters they had in the headquarters as Havoc left in a different direction. To their relief, Havoc was able to find Riza still inside the building, as she hadn't even had enough time to leave the building.

Outside the military headquarters, enemy airplanes started dropping their bombs, hoping the subsequent panic would benefit them. The news of the attacks arrived by radio transmission to the shelter, where Roy, Riza and a few more soldiers listened attentively.

"Order the tanks in Hubble Highlands to go to the Southern District. There are many civilian targets there," Mustang spoke on the microphone, as the Generals discussed the most important areas to protect in the city.

"_The Second District was attacked. The university wasn't bombarded, but a couple of buildings on University Avenue were destroyed."_

The radio transmission shocked everyone. There were no military facilities in that area around the university, where only students, scientists and professors lived. However, that was one of the last places attacked, before the Nymbean aircraft were finally destroyed. As it was his job, Lieutenant Havoc escorted Roy and Riza both to a meeting room once the attack was over. An emergency meeting had to be held, since they needed to know more about the situation and the consequences of the surprise attack.

"We lost a tank in Hubble Highlands. A radio tower on the border was destroyed and we have no communication with section 11."

"The military hospital sent us a report. They're taking in civilian patients from the University Avenue attack."

Fuhrer Mustang listened to all the reports, and they started discussing a plan to avoid more confusion in the capital. Schools could be used as shelter for people whose houses had been bombed. Soldiers had to rescue victims, and tanks had to be taken to strategic parts of the city in case of a second attack on that day.

There was a lot of work and Mustang was tired and irritated already, so when he noticed Havoc was drumming his fingers on the wall, he immediately told him to stop.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Havoc replied in a nervous tone.

"Is there something wrong, Lieutenant Havoc?" Riza asked the man, as he looked like he wasn't feeling well.

"No. Everything is just fine," he said, although not very convincingly, causing everyone else in the room to turn to him.

"What's wrong, soldier?" General Roderick asked him rudely, already suspecting the Lieutenant of knowing something they didn't.

"Nothing, Sir."

"Answer me, soldier," Roderick insisted.

"Havoc," Mustang called, making everyone else stop talking.

"My… girlfriend and her daughter live on University Avenue," Havoc finally spoke, causing Roderick to calm down, as the General realized why he was so nervous.

"You can try to call the hospital once we finish here," Carlisle said.

"Yes, Sir," Havoc said. He started drumming on the wall again, then remembered he wasn't supposed to do so and stopped, looking down. He rolled his shoulders once, straightened himself, and then kept staring at the opposite wall, clearly disturbed.

Roy felt Riza's hand on his knee and leaned to the side so she could talk to him.

"He's worried about them," she whispered, and Roy knew he wasn't being fair with Lieutenant Havoc.

"Havoc, get someone to replace you and go find them," Mustang ordered.

"Sir?" Havoc asked, not sure about the idea. He didn't like leaving his post.

"I'll be glad to replace you until you are sure your girlfriend is all right," Major Armstrong announced, standing up.

"Th-thank you, Sir!" Havoc spoke quickly, before leaving the room in a hurry.

"You're being too nice, Fuhrer Mustang," Carlisle said once the Lieutenant had left.

"A bodyguard should be alert all the time. He can't do his job properly if he can't focus," Roy dismissed the General's comment quickly.

Outside, in the middle of the city, University Avenue was experiencing what would be the perfect definition of chaos. Although soldiers had managed to put out the fire in the two damaged buildings, many people were still out on the street. Rubble and dirt covered the pavement, and soldiers still looked for missing people.

If Lieutenant Havoc had been worried before, he wouldn't feel any better after seeing the hectic situation. His fears came true when he walked down the Avenue and realized the partially ruined apartment building, with smoke still coming out of the windows from the upper floors, was one he knew. He had been there a few times in the last few weeks, looking for Rachel, but nobody had answered the door. Maybe she had moved, or maybe she just wasn't at home when he went to visit her. He didn't know. The last time Havoc saw her had been before he was forced to go to Xing.

"Oh, crap," he mumbled and froze in his place, staring at the broken glass of the window where the flower pots used to sit on the windowsill before.

"Jean!" a voice called him and he turned around, feeling like a huge weight had just been lifted from upon him.

Rachel, his girlfriend, was there, alive and well, and with her daughter Erika in her arms.

"Oh, thank God you're all right!" he said in relief.

"I moved in with my sister a couple of months ago. We live in the next block," Rachel explained a bit coldly, and Havoc remembered he owed her an explanation.

"I tried knocking on your door last month. I didn't know you had moved."

"We're fine. Thank you for your concern," Rachel said, taking a step back and turning around to go.

"Wait, Rachel!" Havoc called, holding her arm.

"Hang on," she said, letting Erika go back to the ground and telling the little girl to go with her aunt, an older woman who was watching them from across the street.

"Let me explain."

"Jean, I told you it wasn't a good idea. I don't want any more instability for my child. She can't get used to somebody and then watch this person disappear overnight."

Havoc had met Rachel by coincidence and before he realized, they were more involved than they had planned. Rachel however, seemed more interested in forgetting all about it than in anything else right now.

"It was a mistake. We shouldn't have allowed this to go this far," she insisted.

"I didn't have a choi-"

"Good bye, Jean," Rachel said, walking away. Her instincts had told her that being with a rebel soldier wasn't a good idea, but she had decided to give Havoc a chance, and had ended up regretting it when the man just disappeared into thin air.

"I was arrested!" Havoc still yelled in the middle of the street.

He watched as Rachel stopped and turned around, with a worried expression.

"What did you say?" she asked, walking back to him.

"Nymbe had ordered my execution. I had help escaping from prison, but from there I had to go to Xing and later I ended up in Aerugo. I joined the army again, at least," he explained, pulling on the blue fabric of his uniform jacket as a way of making it clear he wasn't lying.

"Gosh, Jean! Are you going to stay in Amestris now?"

"Even if I didn't want to. I'm in charge of security for the Fuhrer and his wife."

For a moment, Havoc wanted to laugh at the woman's surprised expression, but decided not to.

"Can I get a second chance? I really missed the two of you during this time I was away," he said, truly hoping she would say yes.

"Are you sure you want this? I have a job that takes a lot of my time and a child. And I'm older than you are."

"Yes, four years older than me. So what? I want this! Come on, I even quit smoking because you didn't want me smoking around Erika!"

"You quit?"

"I did, I swear," he said.

"I… I don't know what to say…"

"A second chance?"

Rachel sighed, trying hard to think about it. She was tired and still in shock after the attack, so she didn't feel like using her brain for anything at that moment. As she was a biologist, this was a weird feeling, but she thought it might be better to just see what would happen instead of trying to think logically about everything in her life.

"Here, this is my new phone number," she finally said, handing Havoc a business card from the university. "I have to go now, but you can call me."

"Okay. I have to go back to work now anyway. I'll call you as soon as I can."

Rachel took a step back and was going to turn around and walk away, but Havoc held her by the arm again and got closer, placing a kiss on her lips. There was a moment of silence, in which both of them just looked at each other, barely breathing.

"I sure missed this…" Rachel admitted with a smile.

"Me too."

Jean finally let the biologist walk away, and decided to go back to the headquarters. He looked back after a few seconds walking, and once he was sure Rachel couldn't see him, he punched the air as a way of celebrating. Despite all the tragedy that day, he was happy that at least Rachel and Erika were all right, and that he could still be in their lives. That day would be remembered as the last bombing of Central City, but Havoc would remember it for other reasons.

* * *

**A/N: **I don't even know how I managed to finish this in time, but somehow it happened. I can't guarantee next week's chapter will be on time as well, but I'll do my best. Thanks a lot to everybody who's reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting! I'm off to work now. Leave a review if you have the time, please!


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: **Contrary to popular belief, I haven't been abducted. I'm still alive and FMA still doesn't belong to me.

I want to say thank you to Royal Duke Armadilloer III, ssadropout, Theiving Alchemist, lecchan, Fabi Washu, Hollowmist, snakebite3, hawkeyeflame1921, KageNoNeko, TheJadenAlchemist, ILoveAnonymity, Cami, Toushirou-chan, Hina Kita, Aieika, thehawkseyem1910 and Cantata Blue for your awesome reviews!

I also want to say thank you to my wonderful beta-reader, ssadropout, who managed to beta this chapter greatly, even with such a short time to do so!

And... I apologize for being late with the chapter. The last couple of weeks have been crazy and the inspiration fairy seems to have gone to some place else... But finally, here's the chapter...

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**Chapter 23**** – Just Another Gathering**

**September ****2****nd****, 1919**

It was the end of the afternoon and time to go home for most workers. Therefore, the streets in the capital city of Amestris were full of people. A little more than a year had gone by since the end of the war, and the citizens had once more gotten used to that scenery. A whirl of activity, watched by very few people in blue military uniforms. An airplane crossed the sky, and some people looked up, only to see it was an Amestrian biplane, something now common over Central City.

Still stuck in his office and hoping to be able to leave soon, the Fuhrer, Roy Mustang, separated a few files he needed to read again and finished his letter to some general, demanding more information related to a report he had received that morning. He signed the letter, and when he looked around for an envelope, he accidently hit a pile of documents with his hand, dropping everything on the floor.

"Fuck! Why the hell is this still here to start with?" he complained loudly.

"You said you'd have it sent to the S.I.F. office tomorrow," Havoc said, moving away from his own paperwork and helping Mustang collect all the documents.

The two other soldiers in the office didn't say a word. They wouldn't dare do so, because the Fuhrer was in a terrible mood that day. They just finished their work and asked permission to leave. Roy dismissed them quickly, still very irritated. Things were a lot easier for him when Riza was there in the office too. However, she was around nine months pregnant now, and that meant she would spend most of her time at home, resting. Working with Roy had gotten too tiresome for her in the last couple of months.

"All this fucking paperwork is going to give me a stroke," Roy mumbled, going over the reports and discovering one that still needed to be revised that day. "Shit!"

"If you calmed down a little you'd manage to finish all that in no more than fifteen minutes," Havoc said, going back to his desk. Mustang wasn't the only one doing overtime that Friday. Havoc was also eager to go.

"Stop lecturing me about staying calm," Roy answered.

"Yes, sir," Havoc replied with a slight tone of somebody who didn't agree, but just wouldn't bother saying otherwise.

There was a knock on the door, and a guard entered the office, asking if he could let some soldiers in. Only when Roy heard the names the guard said, was that he remembered they had made plans for that Friday. Fuery, Falman and Breda walked inside, asking if they had already finished up.

"Almost," Roy replied. "But I don't think I'm going with you."

"Oh, come on. You've been stuck in this office the whole week," Breda said.

As they weren't working in the same office as before, they now used to gather somebody's place on a Friday night. They'd usually go to Roy and Riza's house, but that week they would meet at the new apartment Falman had rented. There they could have a drink and talk about whatever came to mind, like in the old times. Their conversation topics varied a lot, but they had agreed to leave work and the army out if possible, although most nights would end in a debate about politics. Havoc and Fuery, who didn't like that specific topic much, had already developed a new strategy. Whenever Breda, Falman, Roy or Riza started getting carried away discussing politics, they started to talk about their families. Havoc was now living with Rachel and her daughter Erika, whom the soldier now cared for like she was his own child. Fuery had married Kayleigh as he wanted to do, and their son, Reece, was going to be one year old that month. The boy was a lively toddler, and Kain loved talking about him. The soldier's enthusiasm reminded Roy of Hughes, although Fuery didn't carry a bundle of photographs with him all the time like Maes used to do.

"Sorry, but I'll pass," Roy said.

"Are you sure? You're really stressed out," Havoc insisted. "Just a drink or two and you can go home more relaxed."

"Riza is waiting for me."

"Why don't you give her a call? She won't mind if you're with us," Breda tried to convince him.

"She's going to have our baby anytime. I should be home with her, not working until late."

"I know how you feel. When my wife was pregnant I just wanted to stay with her when I could," Fuery said, and Havoc elbowed him playfully.

"Don't give me that crap. You were just afraid that with the hormones talking, Kayleigh would welcome you with a frying pan on the head if you arrived later than usual," Jean joked.

"That's not true," Kain replied in an offended tone and everyone laughed.

"And what's the nickname you said your wife calls you?" Breda asked Fuery, laughing.

"I'll shoot myself before I tell you that," Fuery said, regretting the day he had told his friends that his wife had a silly nickname for him. Havoc and the others had spent the whole Friday night that time trying to get Fuery drunk enough to share his nickname with them.

"So, are you sure you're not coming along?" Havoc turned to Mustang again. Even Fuery's coming and with no curfew this time."

"I never had a curfew," Kain complained.

"Yeah, right," Havoc joked, and started imitating Kain's voice. "Well, it's been nice to talk to everybody, but it's getting late and I should go home."

"I don't want to sleep in the porch, so I'd better go or my wife won't open the door for me," Breda continued the joke.

Fuery sighed in frustration. Being the youngest of them wasn't easy. His wife was the first to say he should spend some time with his friends and enjoy a drink when he could, but he was the one who preferred to go home early and stay with her.

"That's not how she welcomes me when I get home, especially when Reece's already sleeping," he said in his own defense.

"Atta boy!" Breda yelled, and everyone laughed.

The phone rang and everyone became quiet, as Mustang picked it up with an annoyed expression. He didn't want any more work or trouble to deal with. He just wanted to go home.

"Hi, Riza! How are you feeling?" he spoke on the phone.

Everyone smiled mischievously, already planning the next round of teasing for the moment Roy hung up the phone, Kain feeling very happy to know he wouldn't be the target this time. However, they couldn't have expected what they were about to hear.

"Are you sure? Could it be just a false alarm?" Mustang asked nervously on the phone, and all the others took on serious expressions in less than a second.

"The water broke? Okay, I'm going. Stay calm, okay? I'll be there in a few minutes. Bye. I love you," he said in a worried tone making it obvious he was the one who should be told to stay calm.

He hung up and got his jacket. Havoc was already waiting by the door, saying he would drive.

"Did the water break just now?" Fuery asked.

"That's what she said."

"You're finally going to be a father," Falman said, although he didn't know whether that wouldn't just make Mustang more nervous than he already was.

Havoc left with Mustang in a hurry, and the other three soldiers stayed behind in the corridor, not sure of what to do now.

"We're not going anymore, are we?" Breda asked and Falman shrugged.

"Let's go to the hospital and find out what's going on. We can visit them tomorrow morning," Fuery suggested, and Falman and Breda agreed immediately.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Later that night the sound of life echoed throughout the hospital room. It was incredibly beautiful, in a way that one might not be able to describe. Riza smiled with contentment when the doctor called Roy to cut the umbilical cord. The look of amazement he had on his face was something she wouldn't ever forget. She could tell he felt happy and proud when he got the scissors from the nurse's hand. And then the doctor brought their baby. It was a girl, with hair as dark as Roy's.

"She's beautiful," Riza said, holding the still crying baby."You both are," Roy said, placing a kiss on Riza's forehead, before adding, "She looks like a 'Kate' to me."

"Definitely," Riza agreed.

Kate was a big and perfectly healthy baby girl. Roy gently brushed her hair to the side with his hand, still feeling stupefied. Of course he had known she was there during those nine months, but only now it felt real. Only now he could see her and hear her cry. Their daughter would grow to look a lot like them. And time would certainly fly as she would open her eyes, learn how to sit, say her first word, and take her first steps.

**September 3****rd****, 1920**

"What a long meeting that was!" Harold said when Victoria left the publisher's office. They had spent the whole morning in the small Amestrian city, but they didn't have much time left. They had a train to catch.

"As this isn't my usual publisher, we had many details to discuss," Victoria explained, getting into the car, where Hope and Aidan had been waiting.

"How did it go, Grandma?" Aidan asked, leaning forward on the backseat.

"It went well. They are interested in publishing some of my latest novels."

"That's awesome!" Aidan celebrated. "Now we can return this rented car and catch our train to Central!"

"Central must be a big city," Hope said with excitement.

During the last few months of the war, Amestris and Aerugo had allied against Nymbean forces. Once the war was over, the two countries kept good relations and started to trade products. When the first books from Amestrian authors hit the shelves of the bookstores in Aerugo, Aidan and even Hope and Harold started telling Victoria that she should try to publish her novels in Amestris too. Actually, it was just an excuse to travel to Amestris and see their friends again. Victoria knew that of course, so she had managed to schedule a meeting with a publisher in a smaller city near Central on the same day as Kate, Roy and Riza's daughter, would turn one year old. The girl's first birthday was the perfect excuse for a visit.

This last train trip was rather short, compared to the long hours they had spent on trains during the last couple of days. Victoria was used to traveling, but Aidan and the others weren't, so they were already tired. Nancy had stayed in Aerugo because somebody had to take care of Grandma Lorraine. She wasn't exactly happy to be the one to stay, but it was probably better. She suffered from motion sickness, and long train trips were like torture for her.

"Riza said in her letter they'd send someone to pick us up," Harold observed, when they got off at the station.

They all looked around, hoping that someone would come to talk to them. And that's when they saw a tall gray-haired soldier who looked familiar.

"Hey, you're one of the soldiers who went to Aerugo to take Roy and Riza back," Harold said to Falman, surprised.

"You are that salesman," Hope added.

Falman smiled and introduced himself, as he hadn't told them his real name the last time they had met. This time there was no reason to lie about his identity. Roy had told him to go and pick up his friends that were coming for a visit, and they already knew who he was anyway.

"How are they doing?" Hope asked with curiosity.

"They're doing well," Falman replied, and started telling them a little about their work rebuilding Amestris after the war.

"Apart from work and all, how are they doing now that they have a child?" Harold said. He didn't really care for politics although Falman was very interested in talking about their latest projects. However, the soldier seemed to understand that politics wasn't Harold's favorite conversation topic, so he told them a little bit about Roy, Riza and their daughter, which made them all very happy.

One year had gone by and Kate had turned into a child full of energy. That day was her first birthday, and despite not being able to fully understand that yet, she had noticed there was something different going on and was very excited with all the agitation.

Roy walked around the garden slowly, always keeping an eye on the child that was holding on his pant leg to prevent from falling. His uniforms pant legs were loose and perfect for Kate to hold on when she walked, still unsteadily. They walked inside the big house again, and Kate risked a few steps forward, without holding on to anything.

"Hey, you're walking on your own?" Havoc said when he saw the little girl. "Where's your dad?"

The girl turned around a bit clumsily, looked at Roy, then looked at Jean again. She smiled and pointed at her father happily.

"Dadda!"

"She could do this a million times," Havoc said.

"She's done that nearly a million times already; you always ask her the same question…"

Havoc laughed, watching the child walk to Riza, who was waiting for them to come back. Quite a few of Roy and Riza's friends had come to see them. Kate knew some of them, others she couldn't really remember, but it was always fun to get so much attention and to see other kids. Fuery had brought his wife and son along, and watching Reece run around was fascinating for Kate.

The boy loved playing with other people, especially adults. Alex Armstrong, who wouldn't miss the opportunity to visit Roy and Riza on their daughter's first birthday, had joined his game, much to Kain's horror. Breda and Havoc watched the man play with the boy. Absurdly tall and threatening looking as Armstrong was, the child didn't fear him at all.

"Giant! Giant!" the boy yelled to him, laughing.

"Reece, don't say that!" Kain complained, but Armstrong wasn't really helping him.

"Who's the giant?" he spoke in a fake angry tone, lifting the child up in the air and pretending to drop him.

"Major, you're going to scare my boy to death!" Kain said.

"Oh, that's not true," Armstrong replied, as the boy laughed out loud.

"He doesn't look scared to me," Kayleigh said, watching Armstrong turn the boy upside down. Reece couldn't stop himself from laughing even louder.

"And, it's Lieutenant Colonel now, not Major anymore," Armstrong added.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel," Kain corrected his mistake.

They all heard the door of a car being closed outside and no more than a few moments later, Falman walked in with Mrs. Wilkinson, Aidan, Hope and Harold.

"Oh, my God, look at you! How elegant you look!" Hope said loudly when she saw Roy and Riza, both wearing their uniforms despite the occasion, in case some of their generals decided to show up for a short visit on that day.

"And look at the little miss! By Golly, she looks so much like the two of you!" Harold said, looking at the little girl who was now hiding behind her mother, unsure about those people she had never seen before. "What a big party for you today, child!" he said to her.

Kate smiled shyly and then hid behind her mother. She wanted to be picked up, but she had to wait, feeling confused. Aidan had come and hugged Riza tight, happy to see her again. Kate observed while the boy let go of Riza and walked to Roy, taking on a manlier pose and shaking hands with him.

"Hey, little man. It's good to see you again," Roy told him, making him grin widely.

"This is so awesome!" Aidan said. "When you left I thought I wouldn't see you again."

"Hey, we like to keep our promises," Roy replied.

"You are taller now, aren't you?" Riza asked Aidan.

"I am! I'm gonna be as tall as him!" he said, pointing at Havoc.

"That's good," Roy replied, and they all laughed at the child's excitement.

Aidan smiled widely in response, before turning to Kate.

"Hello!" he said to her.

Kate took another step towards her mother and pulled on her pants, like she always did. Her mother already knew what she wanted when she did that.

"Oh, too many people… Better be safe in your mother's arms," Hope said laughing.

"Come here sweetheart," Riza said, picking up the child. "Did you have a good trip?" she asked Victoria and the others.

"It was a little long, but very pleasant. I had never been to Amestris before," Victoria said. Hope, Harold and Aidan agreed, since that was their first trip to a different country.

"Why don't we sit down to talk?" Roy invited the group.

They sure had a lot to talk about. Hope and Harold were dying to know how Roy and Riza were doing with the new child and all the work, while Aidan wanted to tell them about how he had started to write his own stories like his grandmother. More than two years had passed and a lot had happened. Luckily, things had only gotten better, not only for them, but for all of Amestris' people. Even Aerugo had been benefited from the current peace. No war threats, no political issues. And now they could enjoy their informal conversation, not worried about what the next day would be like. All that uncertainty that had haunted Roy's and Riza's lives in the past was gone. There was only the future, and it sure looked bright.

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**A/N: **Hello again! Once more I apologize for the late chapter... I personally don't think this was one of my best chapters, but I'd appreciate reviews with your opinions. As you probably know, the story is coming to an end. The next chapter will be the last, although I want to post two, maybe three extra stories in this same fic. They're all related to the main story. I just didn't have a place to fit them. Well, thanks a lot to everyone who's reading and see you (hopefully) next Friday!


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** Fullmetal Alchemist still belongs to Arakawa and my soul still belongs to my boss. Some things never change... (sigh)

I want to say thank you to animelover199514, ILoveAnonymity, Hollowmist, Anonimity, Toushirou-chan, Hina Kita, hawkeyeflame1921, KageNoNeko, Royal Duke Armandilloer III, lecchan, Fabi Washu, Cantata Blue, Thieving Alchemist, Aieika, ssadropout and L. Lamperouge for your great reviews!

I also want to say thank you to my awesome beta-reader ssadropout!

And, as I think I already mentioned, this is the last chapter of this fic. I have some extra short stories to post and I'll do it here in this same fic, so come back to check them!

I hope you enjoy the chapter! (And I'm sorry for being awfully late again... My life is crazy, believe me.)

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**Chapter 24 – The End**

**July 21****st****, 1929**

A few clouds were scattered in the sky of the hot summer afternoon. A girl with long black hair and a boy with the exact same hair color were sitting on a bench, enjoying the shadow cast by a slightly bigger cloud. Two other kids, a boy and a girl with blond hair were squatting on the floor, drawing with chalk what seemed to be alchemy symbols. Their civilian clothes contrasted with the blue uniforms around them, but they didn't seem to notice how out of place they looked. They were in a military facility and had spent the last couple of hours in an office, until they all asked to go outside for at least a little bit.

"It's hot out here," Richard complained, now lying belly-down on the ground. He started playing with his own hair, messing it up. He liked to pull it back like his father did sometimes, but he never succeeded. His hair was too short to do that.

Just by Richard's side, a blond boy with spiky hair finished drawing an alchemy symbol on a stone. Being 11 years old, he had already spent some time studying that science that amazed people everywhere. The others wouldn't be surprised at his abilities as they all were studying alchemy too, but Ben would always try to impress them.

"Now watch this, Kate!" he called to the black haired girl, putting his hands on the ground.

"Hey, Benjamin. You're not supposed to be doing any alchemy here," a tall soldier who had been watching them said.

The man had been standing by their side since they had left the building, watching them and everything that was going on around them. The children didn't mind being supervised by him as he wasn't like most soldiers they knew.

"Your dad said so," the man added.

"Not fair… When my dad was only one year older than me he became a State Alchemist, but Natalie and I can't do any alchemy when he's not around," Benjamin complained.

"I wish we could be State Alchemists too," his sister agreed.

"You know your dad's situation was totally different, don't you? He didn't want to be a State Alchemist," the soldier said.

"Did you meet our dad when he was a child, Jean?" Natalie asked.

"I did, he was only twelve back then," Havoc answered. "He was shorter than Benjamin at that time, and he'd go ballistic when anyone called him short."

The children all laughed, especially Benjamin and Natalie, who had already heard these stories about their dad's short temper.

"Did you ever see our dad perform alchemy? Uncle Al always says he was a brilliant alchemist before he lost his alchemical abilities," Benjamin asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I did. He was very good."

"Was he good like our dad is?" Richard asked.

"It's hard for me to say, I don't understand much about alchemy, but I'd say yes," Havoc explained.

"I think our dad fought the Fuhrer once," Natalie said casually. "But he lost."

"What?" Kate and Richard asked at the same time.

"It wasn't a real fight, just our dad's yearly evaluation. Uncle Alphonse said he didn't get along with the Fuhrer at that time and he wanted to challenge him," Benjamin explained.

"Did you see their fight?" Richard asked Havoc.

"Yeah, I remember it," the soldier said.

Havoc noticed the kids were all gathered around him, apparently waiting for more details. Kate and Richard Mustang were often under Havoc's supervision, especially when Roy and Riza had important meetings to attend. Other soldiers could watch them, but the two children preferred Havoc as their bodyguard by far. They always asked him to tell them stories about the old times before Roy became the Fuhrer.

Benjamin and Natalie on the other hand, had thought it would be weird to have a soldier watching them. They would come to Central City with Edward every once in a while because Edward often had some alchemy research to show to Roy, but they usually didn't need any supervision from soldiers. This time however, both Roy and Riza were busy, and Edward had left his children with Havoc, in order to go to the parliament and watch an important speech Fuhrer Mustang was going to make that day.

"Well, I think the Fuhrer's speech will take some time, so I could tell you the story if you want to hear it," Havoc said, and all the children cheered happily.

Jean sat on a bench, and the four kids quickly sat on the grass around him.

"You know Edward and the Fuhrer didn't get along at that time, right?"

"That's funny. They're good friends now," Kate said.

"Well, when we were working in the East, and Fuhrer Mustang was still a colonel, everyone wanted to know who was stronger, Edward or the colonel. Lots of soldiers went to watch their fight. Edward almost got him; he tore apart one of Mustang's gloves, but Ed didn't know Mustang was wearing gloves on both hands. If you ask me, I think they were both equally good."

"How long have you known our parents?" Kate asked.

Havoc took some time to answer that question.

"Many years, Kate. They weren't even married."

"But you suspected something going on between them, didn't you?" Kate asked again.

"We did wonder about it. I remember telling the other guys that I wouldn't be surprised if they had feelings for one another. Boy, I'm getting old… So much I remember like it was yesterday and it happened so long ago."

"Like what?" Richard asked, getting closer to the bench and leaning against it.

"Well, I remember when Roy got that phone call from your mom on the day Kate was born. You should have seen the look on his face."

"What kind of look?"

"The I'm-scared-as-hell kind of look."

Both Kate and Richard laughed, imagining their father's expression. He was serious most of the time, except when he played with them or read stories to them. At these moments he would allow himself to become a lot funnier then he usually was.

"That's nice," Benjamin said, with a tone that didn't succeed in hiding a little jealousness. "My Dad wasn't around when I was born. He was when Natalie was born, but not when I was," he concluded.

Kate and Richard turned to him questioningly. The idea didn't make any sense to the nine-year-old girl and the six-year-old boy.

"Our dad had gotten a mission to bring some information to Central City, but he was injured and ended up in a campaign hospital. It was during the war," Benjamin explained.

"Really?"

"Mom said they had run out of antibiotics. I think some friends of our dad's broke into an enemy facility to steal the antibiotics during the night," Natalie completed the story.

"What do you mean some friends of your dad's? You don't know who they were?" Havoc asked.

"I don't know. We never asked, I guess," Benjamin replied. "Mom said that they saved my dad's life."

"Do you know who it was, Jean?" Natalie asked.

"Of course I know. I was one of them."

"Really?" the kids all asked at the same time, in uttermost surprise.

Havoc could see sparkles on the kids' eyes. Their curiosity had been fueled, and they were eager to hear the rest of that story. They sure wouldn't accept it if he didn't continue it now.

"We got the mission to find Edward and bring him back, because he was carrying some very important information," Havoc started, and the four kids listened attentively, not making the tiniest noise. "Nobody knew where he was. We found him in the hospital, but like you already know, the doctors didn't have any antibiotics, and he definitely needed them."

"And what did you do?"

"Edward was scared that he might die and not meet you. He told Roy he couldn't die because he hadn't met his son yet."

For both Benjamin and Natalie, listening to stories about their dad was just awesome. Edward used to talk a lot about his childhood studying alchemy in Resembool, but those stories were mostly related to the time before him and Alphonse tried to bring their mom back to life using alchemy or to the months they had spent working on the farm in Aerugo. Edward didn't seem to enjoy talking about the time he had been a soldier or even the mission he had accepted during the war.

Now, as Havoc told the children about how they had found Edward in the hospital on their way back to Amestris during the war, they all listened, completely fascinated.

"Wow. I didn't even know your dad was there too," Benjamin said to his friends.

Jean went on telling them about their attack to the enemy warehouse, leaving out any details he thought weren't necessary. The fact that Havoc had almost shot Fuery that night wasn't something he would like to share. So he just narrated the event like some cool adventure, not mentioning all the desperation they had gone through while exchanging shots in the dark.

"Of course it was dangerous, and we got scolded when we came back, but everybody was glad we did it," he concluded, smiling at the open-mouthed kids.

"So you, Kain, and Richie's dad saved _our_ dad?" Natalie said.

"No way!" Benjamin shouted excitedly.

"Yup. And the information Edward got gave us the exact location of the enemy bases. That information was essential for us. Be proud of your old man."

"No lie?"

"It was decisive. If he hadn't got that information… boy, would we be in trouble… Ask Fuery. He saw the huge amount of airbases they had in Creta, just close to our borders."

Totally amazed by so many details about the war, the children soon got carried away. The boys came up with some game that involved imaginary shooting and pursuit and convinced the girls to join them. In a matter of seconds, they all stood up and started running around and screaming, chasing each other and playing loudly. Havoc thought it wouldn't be so bad to let them have fun, despite the noise they were making.

"Hey, what's going on here?" a familiar voice called.

Benjamin stopped running after his sister Natalie, and they both ran to Edward, who had just arrived, walking calmly with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, Havoc. Did they give you much trouble?" he asked the soldier in a good mood.

"Nah, they're good kids. And besides, what's another two children for a guy who watches over the Mustang kids?"

Kate and Richard smirked mischievously, before asking Edward about their own parents.

"They shouldn't take long. Your dad finished his speech half an hour ago."

"Hey, dad!" Benjamin called. "How come you never told us that Jean, Kain, and the Fuhrer were the ones who stole the antibiotics while you were in hospital when I was born?" the boy said all at once without even pausing to breathe.

"I thought you knew of that," Edward said, confused. "I just found out about it later. I would have tried to talk you guys out of it if I knew you were going to do something so risky, but…" he said to Havoc, who interrupted him.

"That's exactly why you only found out about it later. We knew you'd complain."

"Yeah, well… I'm thankful you did that," Edward said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

He knew that if it weren't for Mustang's lack of concern for his own safety and the guys who had gone on that crazy mission, he might not be there with his family today. He was more thankful for that than he would admit, but his friends didn't need any words from him.

"You should let your kids know more about that time. They love the stories," Havoc said.

"You're right."

"We know lots of stories!" Richard said happily.

"But we heard most of them from Jean," Kate added.

"We should come here more often, Dad!" Natalie complained.

"We'll try. Why don't you go play until Richie and Kate's parents are back?" Edward suggested.

"Hey, Jean!" Richie called. "Tell us about when you flew in the biplane with Kain!"

"You really want to hear that again? It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life."

They nodded happily, yelling 'yes' repeatedly, until Havoc finally agreed to tell them that story again, one of their favorites. Edward leaned against the back of the bench, watching the kids' amusement as Havoc narrated the adventures from the time before they were born. Even Ed had to laugh at the way the soldier told the story. Havoc was good at catching the children's attention.

"Fuery was so calm, explaining to me about the evasive maneuvers he had been practicing, but all I could think was 'great, but don't do any maneuvers with me here or I'll have a heart attack,''' the soldier said with fake panic in his voice, which caused all the four kids to burst out in laughter.

Everyone was so focused on the story Havoc was telling them they hadn't even noticed that Roy and Riza were finally back.

"Entertaining the children with old stories again?" Roy asked, and they all turned around to look at them.

"Mom! Dad!" Richard yelled, standing up. "Jean told us great stories!"

"That's good," Roy said, laughing.

"They sure love these stories," Edward observed, before greeting Roy and Riza.

The kids all joined them, and Havoc promised to tell them some more stories the next time he had to watch them. Riza noticed Richie's messy hair and called him over so she could straighten it with her hands. The boy was already tired as he had spent the whole day playing, so he clung lazily to his mother's uniform pants while she tried to make his hair look a little more decent.

"When is Daddy going to retire?" he asked lazily.

"Soon, sweetheart," Riza replied.

"They can't wait for you both to have more free time," Havoc observed with a smile.

"I want a story tonight," Richie added, suppressing a yawn.

"I'll read one for you before you go to sleep, okay?"

The boy nodded gladly in response. Roy could tell him stories and make funny voices and faces, but Richard still enjoyed the way his mother read the books to him. Roy smiled at the sleepy child holding Riza's hand and rubbing his eyes. He could see they had had a busy day playing.

"Did you already make some progress on that research you showed me last time?" Roy asked Edward, thinking that this might be the reason for the man to be in Central City.

"Not really," Edward replied. "I had to come to pick up some automail parts that Winry ordered, and I thought I might bring the kids with me. Havoc said he could watch them along with your kids, so I left them here," Edward explained casually.

"They sure had a lot of fun together," Jean said laughing.

"It's not every day that they can play with other kids who are learning alchemy," Riza said.

Edward didn't need any good reasons to come visit them, especially considering how long he had known Roy and Riza. He still enjoyed traveling around, so he would come to Central City whenever he had a good excuse.

"I watched your speech today," Ed mentioned.

"So you were there," Roy said.

"I've heard you plan to retire by the end of the year."

"That's correct," Roy confirmed it. "I wanted to retire earlier, but the parliament demanded that I stayed for longer."

"Can't blame them," Havoc said.

The parliament was very influential in the country's affairs and although some people in the army didn't enjoy this decentralization, most of the population approved of it. Amestris hadn't been involved in a war since their last battle against Nymbe, and things had changed quite a lot. The commerce among Amestris, Xing and Aerugo was now strong and exchange students were a common sight in Amestrian universities. Ishbal, a land that had suffered terrible attacks in the past now prospered and although some prejudice against Ishbalians still existed amongst the people, it wasn't socially acceptable anymore. Ishbalians had the right to profess to their religion guaranteed by the law.

However, Roy had already stayed longer than he intended to. The biggest change he wanted to promote was turning the government into a democracy and allowing people to vote for their president, who should perform his duties for a pre-established number of years. Only a few countries in the continent were ruled by a president, but the democracy was considered the future of Europe. Although Roy had always wanted to do that, the army and even the parliament feared that such a change would cause some political instability and they would run the risk of being attacked by neighboring nations once again or even by insurgents in their own country.

"Is the parliament still worried that they could lose their authority?" Edward asked.

"They feared an attack by Drachma. But the situation has been stable for years now, so they finally agreed to have an election."

"That's good. But there's something I don't really understand. You were voting on some laws today and I heard you talk about a new law about state alchemists," Edward said, suddenly changing his tone of voice slightly.

"Yes, that's correct."

"Right, but state alchemists must be at least sixteen years old? I was twelve when I joined the army, and you were the one who first suggested it," Edward continued, annoyed.

Fuhrer Mustang had been trying to pass many laws now that he was going to retire soon, but Edward just couldn't understand why he had decided to bring that specific matter up to the parliament. Now they would soon vote on a new law about a minimum age for state alchemists, and although most of the parliament wanted it to be fourteen, Mustang was the one insisting on raising it to sixteen.

"Yes, I'm actually having trouble with that. They still have those records and they questioned my decision, but I believe I will convince them," Mustang said with his usual cockiness. Edward was so used to it already that it didn't even bother him anymore.

"Why sixteen?" he asked.

"Do you think you were prepared for what you saw in the military?" Roy answered his question with another question.

Edward sighed, feeling annoyed. He could think of many different times when he didn't feel prepared at all.

"Of course I wasn't. I was twelve. You weren't really worried at that time. What changed?"

Roy shifted weight from one leg to another, turning to stare at the four agitated kids who had gathered again to talk and weren't paying any attention to the adults' conversation. Edward just waited, knowing Roy was either trying to find the right words or didn't want to answer. Riza noticed her husband didn't feel comfortable talking about it and was ready to help, but it wasn't necessary.

"I have my own kids now. I guess _I_ changed," he finally said, risking a glance at Riza, who smiled at his answer.

"Oh, shoot… Don't say _that_ at the parliament," Edward complained and then abandoned the angry expression he had and laughed.

"Of course I won't."

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a flash of light and a few excited screams.

"Wow, look at them!" Richard yelled, looking at two statues made out of the pavement from the ground.

Roy, Riza and Edward stared at the alchemically produced statues that looked like real people, both taller than the kids. Kate and Benjamin stood up and looked proudly at their transmutations, before starting to compare them.

"Mine is taller," Benjamin said.

"Kate's statue looks more beautiful than yours, brother," Natalie said to Ben, who shrugged and agreed, but still boasted that his statue was taller.

The children then turned to their parents, hoping they wouldn't be mad.

"You'll have to turn it back to normal, Kate," Riza said, trying to keep a serious face. Kate and Richard weren't allowed to perform alchemy just anywhere, but she couldn't help but feel proud of how easily they had learned alchemy from Roy.

"Benjamin's really your kid, huh," Roy said to Edward, as they watched the boy change his statue into a huge cat, and then make the ground go back to normal.

"Kate's a very good alchemist too," Edward replied. "It's a shame they don't get to play together so often."

"Are you going back to Resembool today?" Riza asked the man.

"No, we're staying in a hotel for tonight. The kids get too tired when they travel twice on the same day," Ed explained.

"Why don't you and your kids join us for dinner?" Riza suggested. "They would have some more time to play with Kate and Richard."

"That sounds good. If you don't have any other plans, of course," Edward said.

"You can stay in our house for the night," Roy added, and Edward called his children to let them know of the change of plans.

Benjamin, Natalie, Kate and Richard all celebrated loudly, happy to be able to play and chat for longer. They all followed their parents to leave the headquarters, talking quickly and nonstop, mostly about alchemy and the stories Havoc had told them during the afternoon. The adults laughed at their excitement as they heard them talk with such innocence, typical of children who knew their future to be bright and promising. Life in Amestris had changed a lot over the last years and although the wars and conflicts would still be remembered by most people, they were most likely going to remain as just memories. Memories of violence, but also memories of bravery of those who had helped free Amestris and its people from the Nymbean oppression.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, this is it. I'm sorry if some people felt that I skipped to much time at once, but I never intended to write much after Roy and Riza came back to Amestris because it would be mainly politics. If I hadn't skipped the time I'd just finish the story once Roy became the Fuhrer, but I didn't want to do that, so I wrote a little about their kids in this last chapter. You can write me a review and tell me what you thought of it. And please, come back some time to check on the extras. So once again, thank you for reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting! And see you soon!


	25. Extra 1

**Disclaimer:**I don't own FMA. I own a crazy black cat that's playing under my chair now. He said hi.

I want to say thank you to theherbflower, L. Lamperouge, Thieving Alchemist, hawkeyeflame1921, KageNoNeko, lecchan, animelover199514, Toushirou-chan, RoyaiLuvr, ssadropout, Hollowmist and TheJadenAlchemist for your awesome reviews in the last chapter!

I also want to say a big thank you to my great beta-reader, ssadropout!

Also, I'm sorry for taking so long to post the first extra. Things have been crazier than usual and the end of the semester almost drove me nuts, but I survived. So, here's the story!

It takes place a few months before Havoc arrived at the airbase in Xing.

* * *

**Extra 1 - ****The Speeding Bullet**

**September**** 17****th****, 1917**

It was almost noon and the sun was high in the sky, making the temperatures almost unbearable even for the soldiers who worked in Airbase Number 3 in Xing. The pilots had to practice every day, but around lunch time very few of them still remained in the air. Only one airplane was now flying, practicing risky maneuvers as a way of showing off. The Amestrian Second Lieutenant Dean Hamilton was considered the best pilot of that airbase and he sure worked hard to keep his reputation.

However, Dean wasn't known only by his reputation as a good pilot, but also by the fact that most people in that base considered him to be a jerk.

"There goes the idiot," Kayleigh complained, while working on a biplane on the runway.

"He flying little too close to we, is not?" a Xingese lad called Chao said in his broken Amestrian that everyone was already used to.

"I hope he won't fly over our heads again."

Kayleigh cursed, while giving the plane they were working on its finishing touches. Chao agreed with her, shooting a worried glance at the sky to be sure Dean was flying far from them. The guy loved to dive in the air and fly only a few meters above other people's heads, something that deeply disturbed everyone.

"There, it's ready."

"Right on time. Kain is coming," Chao observed, and they both looked at the bespectacled soldier who was walking towards them.

"How is it?" Fuery asked, taking a look at his biplane.

"Better than ever. We made those changes we had planned to," Kayleigh said.

"Already?" Kain said in surprise.

"Yeah. Take plane to a flight!" Chao said enthusiastically.

The noise of Dean's airplane in the sky suddenly increased in volume and they all looked up when the biplane went only a short distance over their heads, scaring the trio into throwing themselves on the Ground. When Dean had control over his plane, he wouldn't hurt them, but whoever was on the ground could never be sure the pilot had total control over the aircraft.

"Son of a bitch!" Chao yelled, showing that when it came to swearwords in Amestrian language, he had at least a decent knowledge of it.

The three of them stood up, still cursing Dean's lousy sense of humor.

"He could hurt somebody doing that," Fuery complained, getting in the plane. He had been eager to test the new features Kayleigh and Chao had planned for his biplane, and that seemed like a good moment.

"Be careful, Kain!" Kayleigh said, looking apprehensively at the other biplane in the sky in which Dean was.

"Don't worry," Fuery replied with a smile, happy to be called by his name.

Kayleigh had trouble remembering names, so she had called him New Amestrian Guy for quite a long time. When Kain arrived at the airbase, he was supposed to become a mechanic, but after a week working there, Colonel Houston had said they needed more pilots and had ordered him to become one. Fuery hadn't talked much to Kayleigh after that, at least not until the girl and Chao accepted to be the only ones to work on his plane. As Fuery knew something about how the planes worked, he didn't like having different people doing the maintenance every time. Chao and Kayleigh were the only mechanics that could fix his plane, which wasn't anything weird because many other pilots in the base also had only one or two mechanics that were allowed to work on their planes.

Fuery now taxied down the runway and took off, feeling the airplane was flying even more smoothly than usual. He flew around the airbase, testing the plane's speed. Everything seemed perfect, so he went up, then down again, and then heard the other plane coming closer. Dean went over his head, something that everyone knew to be dangerous, because it might destabilize the other airplane.

Fuery didn't lose control of his plane, but couldn't help feeling angry. He knew very well Dean was only doing this because he had a thing for Kayleigh and the girl pretty much despised him. Kain and Chao were Dean's favorite targets for lousy jokes and pranks, only because they were always around the girl.

Determined to show Dean he knew a trick or two as well, Fuery went around and flew over Dean's plane just like the other had done seconds before.

"Hey, check that! Somebody is challenging Dean up there!" a soldier yelled from the hangar, calling many other people's attention to the sky.

A whole lot of people, mechanics and pilots, Amestrian and Xingese, came to the runway, watching the two biplanes in the air. They all knew Dean's plane very well, but nobody could tell who was flying the blue plane whose pilot had apparently decided to question Dean's superiority in the air. Everyone watched completely amazed as the blue plane went up in the air and did a spiral, flying over Dean's plane another time. After a few moments, Dean's plane went down in a famous maneuver. It dived down from high above, ready to go up when it got closer to the ground. The maneuver wowed the audience that had gathered on the runway.

"Show off."

"Is Kain gonna do same thing?" Chao asked Kayleigh worriedly, when he saw Fuery's plane go up in the air like he was getting ready to dive as well.

"What? For God's sake, if he gets killed doing maneuvers I'll shoot Dean in the head!" Kayleigh cursed, feeling her heart skip a beat. She knew Fuery had potential to become a great pilot, but sometimes she wished he didn't. The better he got, the more he seemed inclined to do dangerous things.

Fuery dived as well, eager to show Dean he could be as good as him. It was more than competition; he sometimes felt he owed Kayleigh. Dean annoyed her quite a lot, and Fuery really wanted to beat the guy for her and especially, he wanted to show how Chao and Kayleigh's work was good. Their changes to his airplane had made it fly even better than before.

The crowd that had formed on the runway cheered when they saw the blue plane dive, but in a matter of moments everyone noticed it was going down too fast.

"Pull up! Oh, God! Pull up, pull up, pull up…" Kayleigh started saying, and even Chao started yelling desperately in Xingese.

And suddenly, when everyone was expecting a big explosion and some had even looked to the side so as not to watch the crash, the blue plane went up in the air, flying very close to the ground, even closer than Dean would risk flying.

Kayleigh sighed in relief, brushing the hair away from her own face and sitting on the ground. There was a moment of silence before a loud roar echoed throughout the place.

"Did you see how much speed he picked up?"

"The plane was like a speeding bullet!"

"Who's flying up there?"

Chao and Kayleigh both looked to the side to the group that was coming towards them.

"That's Kain," Kayleigh said, feeling proud that the lad had just done something everybody considered unlikely to happen any time soon. He had beaten Dean in the air and everyone had seen it.

"Sergeant Fuery?"

"The Speeding Bullet who beat Dean!" someone yelled, and everyone laughed. They sure loved the idea that Dean would only be considered second best now.

Fuery was surprised at the amount of people waiting for him when he landed. He hadn't done that to call attention to himself, but that was exactly what had happened.

"There's the Speeding Bullet! Sweet, man… Sweet!"

"Dean must be pissed!"

"You've got guts, little man!"

The noise was so loud that soon Colonel Houston showed up, telling all the soldiers to go back to work. Everyone obeyed immediately, but Houston still managed to ask somebody what had happened. Fuery gulped as he saw a soldier who was talking to Houston point at him. Colonel Houston never approved any kind of fight or competition among the pilots. However, the colonel burst out in laughter, then walked in Fuery's direction and gave him a pat on the back.

"Good work, Sergeant."

"It's… actually I wouldn't be able to do it if it weren't for Chao and Kayleigh's work on my plane," Fuery said. The glory wasn't all his after all.

"Really? Well, I'll be sure to tell the engineers to talk to them. They must have a few good suggestions. But still, I knew you'd be a good pilot the first time I saw you in a plane. I guess I wasn't wrong."

That said, Houston walked away leaving Fuery there, now very embarrassed. To make matters worse - or better, from the other soldiers' point or view – Dean soon had to land because of engine problems and spent the rest of the day on the ground, waiting for the mechanics to fix it.

By the end of the day, when all the soldiers gathered at their improvised bar to drink and chat, the story about Fuery having beaten Dean had already crossed the whole airbase.

"Hey, Speeding Bullet! Come join us for a drink!"

"Excuse me?" Fuery asked the soldier who had called him, not sure he was the one the guy had talked to.

"Let's go, Kain," Kayleigh said, walking by his side and pulling him by his arm. Chao followed right after them, a wide smile across his face.

"What did he call me?" Fuery asked Kayleigh, who explained to him that 'Speeding Bullet' seemed to have become his new nickname.

The three of them sat by an improvised table and ordered something to drink. Fuery only smiled embarrassedly every time somebody complimented him and after an hour, he couldn't even remember how many times he had been called 'Speeding Bullet'.

"I'm gonna order another drink, do you guys want anything?" Kayleigh asked after a while, but Chao just shook his head a bit clumsily. He couldn't handle alcohol very well. A slightly bigger amount of it was enough to make him dizzy and inclined to fall asleep anywhere, from bar tables to the ground outside.

"Thank you, I've had enough," Kain replied.

"Come on, today's your big day, you beat Pilot Jerk! My treat. I'll buy you another."

"I can't drink as much as you."

"I don't drink so much," Kayleigh said, but both Kain and Chao rolled their eyes at her, in obvious disagreement. "Not that much," she insisted.

Actually, Kayleigh could drink quite a lot and not feel drunk at all, something that other soldiers complimented her for, but Kain and Chow didn't encourage.

"Is not healthy," Chao said.

"Yeah, so what? I mean, how long do soldiers last in the middle of a war, anyway?" she said, before going to get the drinks.

"You're wrong to think this way, Kayleigh," Fuery said when the girl came back.

"What way?"

"When I fought along with Brigadier General Mustang, our survival was a priority. And we always survived, even when everything seemed to go wrong."

"Brigadier General Mustang? I'll bet he considered survival a priority. He ran away, didn't he?"

"Kayleigh, don't."

For a moment, Chao laid his glass on the table and stared at the two Amestrian soldiers in silence. The Xingese mechanic had heard Kain talk about the Brigadier General before and he could tell the lad was very proud to have served under Mustang's command.

"Don't what?"

"Talk about Mustang like that."

"He left you and your friends behind, didn't he?"

"I'm sure he had a reason for that," Kain said, with unabashed confidence.

Kayleigh took a deep breath, before apologizing. Fuery seemed satisfied with her apologies, as he got his glass and started complaining about Kayleigh's drinking habits again.

"I don't even get sick. And besides, I almost got killed once already and soon we'll go back to Amestris, right into hell," she argued.

"I almost got killed before too, but I'm here. You have to hold on to your life. If you don't, how can you survive?" Fuery asked.

"Not that anyone would miss me. My mother died, my father's a freak, my brother ran away from home when he was sixteen and left me with the old man…"

"I would miss you," Kain said.

Kayleigh put her glass on the table and looked down for a moment, before smiling at Fuery.

"You're sweet."

"I need to go piss," Chao said, standing up.

"Chao, 'piss' is a swearword…" Kayleigh told him.

"Oh, is it? I don't knew," the Xingese mechanic replied, before leaving the two of them alone.

"Really, you should take care of yourself. If I drank as much as you I'd be wasted," Fuery continued, but this time Kayleigh sighed, feeling annoyed.

"Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't drink."

"That has nothing to do with you being a woman. Chao and I don't drink as much as you do," Fuery replied in frustration.

"If you drank as much as I do, you'd be nothing but a little dizzier than usual."

Chao joined them again soon, only to find out that Fuery had accepted the challenge in order to prove Kayleigh's argument wrong. The Xingese lad slapped his own forehead and then said he wouldn't stick around to see it. Feeling tired already, he left for his dorm, wishing the two Amestrians good luck and a good hangover the next day.

A few drinks later, when the bar was even more crowded than before, Kain decided to leave Kayleigh and went outside, already feeling his stomach complain because of the alcohol. He wished he could just throw up and feel better, but it didn't feel like it'd be that easy.

"Hey Bullet," a voice called him in the darkness of the runway, now empty because of the strong winds that were blowing that night, making it too dangerous to fly.

"Who?"

The shape of a medium-height man moved towards him, coming to the light and Kain recognized Dean Hamilton, with his arms crossed in front of his well-built body.

"That's what they're calling you now, isn't it? You think you're some kind of hero?"

"I don't think anything," Kain replied, walking away.

"Don't ignore me, Sergeant. I'm talking to you."

Dean indeed had authority over the sergeant. Kain just remembered that and stopped, straightening himself up. He was sure too drunk already, to have forgotten it, even for a second.

"Showing off to Kayleigh, aren't you?"

"No, sir."

"Are you together?"

"No, sir."

"Then what is the deal with you and her?"

"Nothing."

"If you're not sleeping with her, then get out of the way and let a grown up take care of her."

"She doesn't like you."

"Well, I don't seem to be able to talk to her very often, since you and the Xingese idiot are always by her side. Go to bed already, you can barely stand."

"I'm not going to bed and leaving her with you," Kain said, turning around. He knew he shouldn't ignore a superior like that, but at the moment, the alcohol seemed to cloud his judgment and he didn't even care. Dean wasn't supposed to bug him about Kayleigh, since Colonel Houston always kept an eye on him and had punished him for fighting before.

The next thing Fuery could remember was being on the ground and a terrible pain on the back of his head. Something had just hit him, so he rolled on his side and saw Dean had picked up a long piece of wood that was lying around.

"I'll teach you not to bother me, boy. Stand up."

Fuery tried to stand up, but the alcohol and the pain on his head didn't help him. He felt fear strike him, but not like it should. He should be a lot more scared than he actually was. Dean was said to have beaten a man to death in Amestris, but nobody knew whether the story was true or not. However, right there and right now, he seemed like a man capable of murder. He had the expression of a rabid animal and more than one reason to be angry.

Finally, Kain got on his feet and stared at Dean, who waved the piece of wood he had in the air. Fuery had just said to Kayleigh that she should hold on to life and now he was the one in danger. Dean might be drunk as well, with clouded judgment just like his.

"Don't try to run, you mouse."

"Who said I want to run?"

Dean swung the piece of wood in the air, but Fuery, being shorter, managed somehow to dodge it and punch him in the face. Dean stepped back then took another swing at him, hitting Kain on the shoulder and making him fall. Before Fuery could get up, Dean's boot hit his forehead and threw his glasses far away.

"I always thought that those glasses looked ridiculous on you."

Suddenly, somebody yelled and a light was shone in their direction. Dean dropped the piece of wood he had and tried to run in order not to be identified, but it was too late. People started yelling that he had attacked Kain and soon everybody came, including Colonel Houston.

"Call the doctor for Sergeant Fuery and find Hamilton now!" Colonel Houston ordered, and several soldiers left towards the runway, hoping to be able to take a swing at Dean before arresting him.

"Kain, are you all right?" Kayleigh asked, kneeling by his side.

The sergeant tried to sit up, but the other soldiers didn't let him.

"I'm okay. Let me stand… I'm going to throw up."

"Is he just drunk or did Dean attack him?"

"There's blood on his head. Dean attacked him with that," another soldier said, pointing at the piece of wood Hamilton had used.

"Got him!" somebody yelled from far away.

Three soldiers came dragging Hamilton with unnecessary force. Dean's nose was bleeding profusely and Houston asked the men whether they had hit him.

"No, we found him like this. I think Sergeant Fuery broke his nose."

"He attacked me, sir," Dean tried to say.

"Enough bullshit, Second Lieutenant Hamilton. A few days in a cell should be enough to teach you a lesson."

The men went away dragging Dean, while Houston stayed only until the Xingese doctor who worked on the base arrived. Fuery thought he was lucky not to have been punished. Houston usually didn't care who started a fight, he simply sent everybody involved to a cell for days.

"He needs a couple of stitches on his head, but he'll be all right," the doctor said in perfect Amestrian except for a little bit of an accent.

Kayleigh helped Fuery walk to the medical ward, while the other soldiers went back to the bar to finish their drinks.

"Exactly how drunk are you?" she asked as Fuery almost tripped more than once on the way to the doctor's room.

"The world is spinning and my stomach has turned upside down…"

The doctor laughed, but Kayleigh didn't seem to think it was funny at all.

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Fuery kept saying. "You got used to drinking too much, but it doesn't mean it doesn't affect your body."

"Drinking too much can lead to liver problems when you're older," the doctor added as they entered the ward.

Kayleigh sighed, feeling bad about it. She knew Dean had sure been the one to start the fight, but Fuery wouldn't have gone there alone if he wasn't feeling so sick after accepting her challenge.

"I'm going to get some local anesthetic," the doctor said, leaving them alone in the room.

Fuery sat on the bed, examining what was left of his glasses. Dean had broken them and he would need new ones now.

"Thanks for taking care of me," Kayleigh said, sitting by Kain's side now that they were alone.

"I don't mean to bother you, it's just that…"

"I know."

Kayleigh got the glasses from Fuery's hand and rubbed his shoulder gently where Dean had also hit him before. Fuery flinched at her touch, and Kayleigh immediately apologized.

"Does it hurt bad?"

"A little."

"Damn. Stupid Dean. But he'll have to live with the fact that you're a better pilot than he is."

"He's better than me."

"Maybe in his dreams… He's been flying for much longer than you and you're already as good as him. Why do you think he bothers you that much?"

"Actually, he's jealous of you. He thinks there's something between us."

Kayleigh was quiet for a moment, pretending to try to fix Kain's glasses frame.

"And is there?" she asked him.

Fuery was slightly surprised by the question, but the doctor came back and he didn't have a chance to answer. They left about ten minutes later to go back to the dorms and Kayleigh didn't ask him again. As they stopped in front of the men's dorm, Kayleigh was ready to say good night and go, when Fuery held her by her arm.

"Something wrong?"

"About what you asked me in the ward… I don't know what you think of a boring guy like me, but I would risk saying that there is something between us."

"You're not boring, but I'd risk saying you're right about us."

Kayleigh took a step closer and placed a quick kiss on Kain's lips, before moving away. She thought he just wanted to rest after all that, but he gently pulled her closer by her arms and kissed her again. The girl knew Fuery was very shy and that was probably the alcohol still acting in his system, but she wouldn't complain. She got his hands and placed them around her own back, deepening the kiss and caressing the back of his neck, careful not to touch the recent wound.

There was certainly more than just a little something between them they both thought, as they said good bye and left for their rooms, hoping the morning would come soon so they could see each other again.

* * *

**A/N: **Hello everybody! Now you know how Fuery got his nickname and a little more about Kayleigh. I wish I had written more with her in the main story, but unfortunately, I didn't find a good moment to do so. I hope you all enjoyed the extra and will leave me a review with your opinion, hehe! Thanks a lot for reading, and see you as soon as I manage to write Extra 2.


	26. Extra 2

**Disclaimer: **Me not own anything. Me tired and forgetted how to write.**  
**

I want to say thank you to Thieving Alchemist, TheNinjaAlchemist95, RoyaiLuvr, ssadropout, Hollowmist, Cerisabeth, lecchan and ookami for your great reviews!

I also want to say a big thank to my awesome beta-reader, ssadropout!

* * *

**Extra 2**** – The Rebel Soldier**

**October 21st****, 1917**

Friday night was the time of the week when the bars of the city got the most customers, even during times of war. People had been tired of staying home, so despite the cold weather and the rumors of possible conflicts between the army forces and the rebels, many men and women had gone out for a drink.

"Tonight's my treat, Clint," a man's voice said.

Three men walked into the bar, one of them wearing the Amestrian army uniform, the other two, one bald and one tall and blond, wearing regular clothes. They took their seats by the counter and ordered their drinks, before lowering their voices a little.

"So, do you think you can get us the ammunition before Tuesday?" the bald man in civilian clothes asked the soldier.

"I'll do my best, Robert. But we have to be sure the Nymbean idiots won't suspect us," Clint, the man in the uniform, replied.

Despite being under Nymbean command, the Amestrian army didn't follow their orders as they were expected. The ones who hadn't deserted couldn't fight Nymbean soldiers, but nothing stopped them from smuggling weapons to the rebels and giving them shelter and medical treatment when things went wrong.

In fact, Lieutenant Colonel Clint was the one providing most of the weapons used by Robert's rebel group. Havoc had been amazed to see how lots of people were fighting, although secretively.

"Hey, Havoc! How do you like coming back to Central? You miss it?" Robert asked, turning to the blond man suddenly.

"The city, not so much. I guess I miss the old days, before those bastards invaded our country," he said.

He did miss that time, even when he and his friends were fighting the homunculi. At least they were together. Things were never easy, but they were fighting for something they believed. They believed they could help the country. They believed in Mustang.

"The war already cost you a few of your buddies didn't it?" Robert asked.

"Two friends of mine died," Havoc said, coming back to reality. Mustang wasn't there anymore, neither were his comrades. The ones who hadn't died or been forced to leave their homes were working under Nymbean's command. Havoc had done that at first, but now he'd prefer to die rather than to serve them again.

"I lost quite a few comrades as well…" Robert mentioned casually.

"What were their names?" Clint asked.

"Thomas Windecker, he was like my brother. Brave guy. Took down four Nymbean soldiers before they killed him. There was also Franklin Keystone. A hand grenade took him. He was brave, he would have killed a hundred if it weren't for that stupid grenade," Robert said theatrically.

The two men shot a look at Havoc, who took a sip of beer and kept staring at the glass. He hated when the guys started talking about dead friends. Their conversation topics didn't vary much. They'd talk about the old days in the army or about the war. There was nothing beyond that. Havoc was already fed up with it.

"Kain Fuery and Vato Falman," he replied so the others would stop bugging him.

Clint drank some of his beer, before adding, "Mark Kellett, the comedian of the academy… Bullet to the chest, but killed the son of bitch who shot him before dying. One of my best buddies."

Robert raised his glass saying, "To our friends."

"To our friends."

They all raised their glasses for a toast, accidentally spilling some beer. Havoc rushed to get a napkin to wipe the liquid that had splattered from his glass, when he noticed one of the women sitting by his side on the counter was trying to clean beer from her purse.

"I'm so sorry," he said, feeling embarrassed.

"Oh, it's okay," she replied. "It's just a little beer."

"Hey, Havoc! Don't go around bothering the ladies!" Robert joked, waving at the two women by Havoc's side. "What are your names?"

"I'm Sally. That's Rachel," the girl said, smiling friendly at Robert.

The soldier introduced himself and his friends, Clint and Havoc, and quickly forgot all about the weapons and ammunition.

"We overheard part of your conversation," Sally said, making the men freeze for a second.

They had kept their voices down while talking about important things, but could those women have heard anything apart from their conversation about dead comrades?

"I'm sorry about your friends," Sally added, and the guys sighed in relief.

"It's just part of our job, you know? Keeping the citizens safe is risky, but it's what we do," Clint replied cockily. He wouldn't miss the opportunity to boast about his military career to beautiful women.

"Right…"

"Why don't you join us for a drink?" Robert invited them.

"Okay," Sally agreed quickly, while the other woman, slightly older, didn't seem to have a choice now.

Robert ordered a couple of beers for the girls and Sally turned to Havoc, looking rather curious.

"What about your friends?" she asked him, like expecting him to narrate some adventure. "Did they die heroically too?"

"There's nothing heroic about dying," Havoc replied plainly. The girl obviously had no idea what it was like to be a soldier.

"Oh, come on man. Tell us something good about the poor souls…" Clint said humorously, patting Jean on the back.

Havoc finished his beer and ordered another. The girl called Sally insisted that he tell them about his friends. Rachel looked at Jean and noticed he seemed annoyed. He probably didn't want to talk about it at all. Havoc scratched his head once, giving his hair a wild appearance. He seemed too young to have such a tired expression.

"Don't ask him to talk about sad things, Sally," she told her friend, hoping to get the blond soldier out of that situation. However, her comment only made Clint and Robert laugh and call him a sissy.

"You want to know about them? How heroically they died?" Havoc spoke harshly all of a sudden. "Fuery was only twenty-three; he worked with radio communications mostly, always did everything he could to help. He trusted us with his life and yet none of us could help him when Nymbean soldiers took him to be interrogated about another guy's disappearance. He was certainly tortured to death, and he didn't even know where the man they wanted was."

"Man, take it easy," Clint said, but Havoc ignored him and kept on talking.

"Falman was older than me, but he barely had combat experience. He hated getting involved in this kind of shit, but when we needed him he did whatever he had to do. I don't even know how he got killed. I read his name in the paper. God knows what happened to him."

He was quiet for a moment, before adding, "There's no such thing as dying heroically. In the end it's just lives being taken before their time."

There was a moment of silence, as no one knew exactly what to say. Clint and Robert were embarrassed, partly because of their friend's reaction, partly because he was actually right about it. Without saying another word, Havoc pushed his chair back and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"Outside," Jean replied, showing them a cigarette. He really needed a moment away from all the chit-chat and dumb people asking enthusiastic questions about things they had no idea of.

Clint and Robert watched him go away and shook their heads.

"Man, he's such a drama queen."

Sally watched in disbelief as Rachel stood up and went after the rebel soldier.

"What's gotten into her?" she complained.

Rachel walked out of the bar and found Jean on the sidewalk, smoking a cigarette, lost in his thoughts. He seemed distant, probably thinking of how much he had sacrificed for nothing.

"I'm terribly sorry about my friend. She just lacks the ability of understanding other people's pain sometimes."

"Are you going to tell me you know how I feel?" Havoc asked sarcastically.

"No. I can't possibly know. I've never fought in a battle, but I believe it's painful to lose your friends like that."

Jean sighed, waiting for some lousy attempt at comforting him.

"You must miss them."

"To everyone they're just two more casualties of war," Jean complained.

"I guess we tend to forget they were just ordinary people, like everybody else."

"They were nice guys, you know? As soldiers we all know we may be killed some day, just like that," he said, with a snap of his fingers. "It's just… It gets lonely sometimes. People around you disappear, are forced to run away, or die. When you least expect it, you are by yourself, thinking that perhaps it would have been better if you had been killed as well."

"You have to hold on to hope. Sometimes it's all we have," she said, determined not to encourage such bad thoughts.

"Do you know what it feels like to be willing to risk your life for people you trust and then they give up and run away when things get ugly?" Havoc asked. He didn't want to believe his own words, but the time passed and he heard no news about Mustang and Hawkeye. Roy probably had seen no possibility of keeping his job or his career once the army turned against him. However, Jean and the others would sure have fought by side if he had let them. Why hadn't he even talked to them? Told them where he was going?

"I know sometimes people disappoint us. We feel betrayed and stupid. The more you trust a person the worse it is when they let you down. But no one is flawless. You can't be too angry at people."

"Yeah... I still hope they are all right. That they haven't come back because they don't want to, not because they are dead or something," Havoc said, blowing smoke in another direction, so Rachel wouldn't breathe it.

"You shouldn't wallow in those thoughts. It doesn't do you any good, that's for sure."

Havoc agreed, although a little reluctantly, and finished his cigarette before going back inside, followed by the brown-haired woman.

"Hey, Sally here told us you're biologists! You are a professor, right?" Clint said loudly when Havoc and Rachel sat by their side again.

"That's right," she confirmed it.

"I always thought that professors were old. You're so young, I'd never have guessed," Robert added.

"I'm older than I look," Rachel replied with a smile.

Happy that at least they had changed the topic, Jean and Rachel joined their conversation, feeling slightly more light-hearted. After some time Sally called Rachel and whispered something to her. Clint found it funny and tried to listen to them a couple of times, but didn't succeed.

"You know you daughter is on the farm with your parents…"

"Sally, quit trying to fix me up with other people."

"Too bad he won't be in the city for long."

Rachel risked a glance at Havoc, who was now laughing at some joke Robert had made. He definitely looked handsome when he smiled. Actually, the fact that he wouldn't be in Central City for long wasn't bad at all. Her parents were taking care of Erika, her four year old daughter, since there had been rumors of possible conflicts in the capital.

No more than two hours later, Rachel unlocked the door of her house and walked in, bringing Jean along with her. He kissed her neck down to her collarbone and Rachel barely managed to close the door after them.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Havoc asked, backing away a little.

"You won't be in town for long, will you?"

"No. It's just that I can't promise I'll be back so soon."

"Jean, you are a really nice guy, but I can't get in a relationship now. That's not what I'm looking for anyway."

"Okay then." Havoc said, thinking he should be cool with it. He let Rachel guide him to her bedroom, wondering about how a workaholic professor, as Rachel had defined herself, could have seduced him so easily. That clever serious look of hers, that didn't seem so appealing at first, now made him crazy. She could do whatever she wanted with him and he was sure he would ask for more.

The next day, when the morning light entered the room through the half-open window, Rachel woke up, looking around, but didn't see anyone. Havoc probably couldn't stay for long, she thought. Although that's what she wanted, Rachel couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. She had expected to wake up in the same arms that had embraced her in her sleep.

"Good morning."

"Jean?"

Rachel was very surprised to find Havoc in the kitchen, using her stove to cook something.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm making scrambled eggs. You don't have any bread at home and that's pretty much all I know how to cook," he replied in a good mood.

"Okay…" she replied uncertainly.

"I'll leave soon, if that's what you're worried about."

The biologist suddenly felt ashamed. She was indeed thinking about that.

"No, it's all right. Thank you. I'm working on a scientific article, so I didn't do any shopping. I'm surprised you found anything to cook."

"Scientific article? Tell me about it."

"It's just boring biology stuff," Rachel explained.

"What's it about?" Jean asked as he finished cooking and served the scrambled eggs.

"River eutrophication due to sewage dump," Rachel replied, tasting the food and complimenting Havoc for his cooking.

"That article sounds complicated," Havoc said, and Rachel could swear he looked interested about it.

"It's not, actually. We've noticed that the increase in the amount of nutrients in the water favor algae growth. The algae cover the water surface and the sun doesn't get to the plants and…" she started to explain, but stopped in the middle of the sentence.

"And?"

"I'm sorry. You don't want to hear about this boring stuff. John always complained about that habit of mine."

"Who's John?" Havoc inquired.

"My ex."

"Ex-boyfriend?"

"Ex-husband."

"Oh…" Jean said, holding the fork in the air, halfway to his mouth. He hadn't expected that answer. "You were married?"

"I was. But John developed a drinking problem. I knew he was beyond recovery when he hit me once, so I left him."

"I'm sorry to hear that. You did right."

Rachel thanked him, wondering if he really thought so, or was just saying it. He did seem to be sincere.

"And what's about that eutriphocation you were talking about? The algae cover the water, then what?" Havoc asked again. "Wait, I said it wrong, didn't I? Eutrophocation?"

"Eutrophication…"

"Almost got it," he said, laughing.

"Funny that you're interested about it. Most people label my work as 'boring and exaggerated biology crap'".

Rachel tried to summarize her article while they finished eating, but they were talking about her work and other things for another half an hour, until Jean looked at his watch and realized how late it was. He had many things to do.

"I'm sorry, I…" he started to say.

"You have to go, I know," Rachel said, trying to disguise her disappointment. She was being foolish. That man was a soldier, probably a rebel by the way he dressed.

"I guess it's good bye then?"

"It seems so," she said.

Rachel walked Jean to the door, but the soldier stopped suddenly.

"I'm still going to be in town for a few days. If you want to… you know, do anything..."

The biologist felt like there were butterflies in stomach. She didn't wish to get involved in a relationship now in order to protect her daughter Erika, but she didn't want that man to go away either.

"I guess you don't want to," Jean replied slightly embarrassed, after a few moments of silence.

"No, no. It's not that," Rachel quickly tried to explain, but couldn't. She herself couldn't understand why she still hadn't just told him to go.

"Well then… dinner? Theater? No? Walk in the square?" Havoc asked, waiting for an answer.

"You choose," she finally replied.

"Dinner then. Tonight? I should have some time."

"That sounds good," she said, mentally telling herself that if Jean was going to leave the city soon, there was no problem in having a short romantic adventure for a change.

"All right. I'll drop by around seven, is that okay?" he asked, taking a step forward and giving Rachel a kiss before going away. There had been very few things to look forward to lately, but that evening would surely be one of them.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello everybody! Another extra! Finally! Please let me know what you think of it. Thanks again to everyone who's reading and see you next Extra.


	27. Extra 3

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. I don't even have a life anymore…

I want to say thanks to Hollowmist, to Cerisabeth, animelover199514, ssadropout, hawkeyeflame1921, Toushirou-chan and Kate for your great reviews! I'm sorry if I didn't answer them all.

I also want to say a big thank you to my awesome beta-reader (who was very patient beta-ing this chapter for me), Ssadropout!

And, I'm sorry for the late chapter. My life is going to be hell till the end of this year. It may (or not) improve after that. Let's hope it does.

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**Extra 3**** – The Reason is Always Money**

**May 6****th****, 1921**

The cry echoed throughout the house so loudly that Jean wouldn't be surprised if it made the walls shake. He rolled on his side, shooting a sleepy glance at his wife. Rachel still had her bedside lamp on and was reading some biology journal. Heavy rain was pouring in Central City, and the thunder had apparently woken up the baby.

"I'll go. You need some sleep," she said, putting the journal on the nightstand.

"Wake me up if you need anything," he replied in a barely audible voice.

Havoc had been working overtime for the last few days and only that night had he managed to get home a little earlier. Fuhrer Mustang's friendly policy towards other countries, although supported by most of the population, had raised some xenophobic feelings among a restrict group of people. It all had started with the beating of an exchange student, and soon a store that sold products imported from Xing was torched. The story was published on the first page of Amestris' most influential newspaper, and the same article raised a different question: how would Fuhrer Mustang deal with this new crisis?

Roy Mustang was in fact doing his best not to make rushed decisions on the matter. He had already expressed his disapproval of the group's actions and spoken publicly about it. He had emphasized that every citizen in the country was entitled to have his own opinion, but that didn't justify terrorism. The army was conducting an investigation to arrest the people responsible for both attacks and at the same time was trying to find a way to prevent the xenophobic feeling from contaminating other people.

All this meant a lot of work for the Fuhrer and his wife. Being in charge of their security, Havoc had also worked a lot the whole week.

"I can't sleep with all this noise, and I don't like thunders."

Havoc raised his head again and saw his stepdaughter Erika standing in the doorway, wearing her pajamas, which were still a bit big for her.

"Can I stay here?" the girl asked.

"You'll have to go back to your bed when your mom comes back," Jean said.

"Okay."

Erika hopped on the bed, but she didn't feel like sleeping at all. It was still about ten o'clock at night and with the baby crying loudly, she wouldn't be able to sleep even if she wanted to. For a seven year old, going to bed early was like missing some interesting part of the day that only adults were allowed to appreciate.

"Why do babies cry so much?" she asked.

"Because they don't know how to speak," Jean said in a muffled voice.

"Did I cry this much when I was a baby?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. I didn't know you at that time," he mumbled lazily.

"Oh, I forgot that when I was a baby you weren't my dad yet," Erika said casually.

Havoc smiled discreetly when he heard the word 'dad'. Erika had refused to call him that at first. She said he was her stepfather, but as that was too long a word for her to use all the time, she preferred to call him by his name. Jean had already gotten used to it, but once he and Rachel had another daughter, Amanda, Erika apparently felt a little jealous and started calling him dad. To Havoc, it didn't make any difference that he wasn't Erika's biological father, but it was sure nice not to be reminded of that every time the little girl called him.

Amanda cried nonstop for another fifteen minutes, after which she reluctantly drifted off to sleep. Rachel went back to her bedroom, only to find Havoc sitting up, half-asleep, talking to their older daughter.

"Erika, you should be in bed. You know thunder is just noise," she said.

"I know that, but I don't want to sleep," the girl replied.

"Come, I'll tuck you in," Jean suggested.

Erika finally agreed and followed the man out of the room.

"You know you could just have told her you needed to sleep. She's old enough to understand," Rachel said when Jean came back to bed.

"I know. It's just that I didn't see her much the entire week, so I feel bad about it."

"How is the investigation about those attacks going?" Rachel asked.

"That's the easy part. Not letting this foreigner-hating feeling spread is the real challenge."

"I see. I heard the Fuhrer asked for help from an expert."

"He invited a sociology professor from the university to his house for a meeting tonight. The guy was still there when I left," Jean mentioned.

"A counsel?"

"Yeah. An Albert Granville."

"Professor Granville? Oh, he's very well-known, that's for sure. An eccentric at heart; hates any kind of publicity. This kind of thing must be torture to him. Usually he won't even let anybody take a picture of him."

"His reputation made it to the army anyway."

"I didn't know anyone had contacted him."

"The Fuhrer didn't want to call much attention from the press, at least not for now. General Carlisle sent Granville a request letter."

"You met him once, didn't you? At that party last year," Rachel mentioned.

Havoc shook his head. He was pretty sure he hadn't met Granville before that evening when the professor was escorted to Roy and Riza's house. Rachel however, insisted that Havoc had even talked to Granville at the last New Year's party at the university.

"He was the man who appeared behind us in one of our photographs," Rachel continued.

"Really? What photograph are you talking about?" Jean asked, and Rachel got a photo album from the bookshelf.

"I always thought you look so elegant in a suit," Rachel said, showing him the picture.

Jean and Rachel had posed elegantly for the photographer and a gray-haired man who was standing behind them had accidentally been registered as well.

"That's Granville," Rachel said, pointing at the man in the photo.

The man in the photograph was nearly as tall as Havoc and slim. He had a prominent chin and straight gray hair. The man that had been escorted to the Fuhrer's house that day had a lighter tone of gray hair and was a little chubby. He could have put on some weight and his hair might have gotten lighter in color, but Havoc was pretty sure he wasn't that tall and his face looked completely different.

"What?" Rachel asked as she noticed Jean's concerned look.

"Are you sure the guy in this picture is Professor Granville?" he asked, still holding the photograph.

"Yes, I am. This might be the only photograph of him in the whole world, considering his aversion to cameras."

"This guy doesn't look even slightly similar to the man who went to the Fuhrer's house today."

"What do you mean, Jean?"

"The guy who's at the Fuhrer's house is someone else. That's bad."

Jean rushed to the phone and tried to call the Fuhrer's house. Rachel followed him nervously as he cursed and put the phone back in the receiver, saying the lines were dead. The lightning had probably damaged the phone lines and Havoc couldn't call anyone from their house.

"Jean, please be careful," Rachel asked, seriously concerned, as she watched her husband put on his pants, boots and a jacket over his white T-shirt.

"I'll be fine," he replied, but Rachel knew he was saying that only to keep her calm. In fact, he was very nervous that something bad might happen or even have happened already.

The soldier left in the rain, running to his car and driving dangerously fast considering the rainy weather.

General Vincent Carlisle raised his hand politely, as a way of saying 'no'.

"Thank you, Professor. I don't smoke."

The man who alleged to be Professor Granville got a cigarette from the pack and shot a glance at Mr. and Mrs. Mustang.

"Of course cultural elements play an important role in the matter," Carlisle said. "The taxes keep most of the imported products priced higher than the local ones, so they can't harm our economy. It's nothing but an excuse. There's no doubt cultural differences are the root of this problem."

The impostor agreed nervously. Not only Carlisle, but also the Fuhrer and his wife seemed to have regretted asking his help. He couldn't add much information to the discussion. If only he had read more of the damn articles the real Professor Granville had written, or at least talked to him, maybe he could provide more useful ideas to their debate.

"Are you sure you don't mind my smoking? I hear you have a respiratory condition," the impostor said to Roy.

"I had a respiratory disease, but it's under control," Roy replied. "Anyway, I still shouldn't breathe cigarette smoke, and we need a break."

They all agreed and the man left the room, meeting the two soldiers that were outside the door.

"Will you escort me outside? I want to smoke a cigarette," the man asked one of the two soldiers, a short man with dark hair and a grumpy expression.

General Carlisle, Roy and Riza stayed in the office, still discussing the matter. A bolt of lightning crossed the sky and the thunder quickly followed. Riza looked worriedly at the window. Kate was sure having trouble sleeping. She was about one and a half years old, and thunder had recently started to scare her.

The gray-haired man turned right in the corridor, followed by the short soldier. The other soldier who had been standing by the door stayed in the same place. He didn't know of anything that was going on.

"Do they trust you, Israel?" the short soldier asked the fake professor.

"It seems so. Thanks to Professor Granville's secludedness, almost nobody out of that damn university knows what he really looks like. But now I wish I had made him tell me something about his research. I felt like an idiot there. Everything I said they already knew."

"You talked to Granville for over two hours. You could have asked him about his research," the soldier said irritated.

After all, he and other two men had gone through a lot of trouble kidnapping Granville without anyone noticing. Israel should have spent more time talking to the real professor.

"I read over three hundred pages of the stuff he wrote."

"In two days."

"Shut up," Israel muttered and they both stopped talking about it.

The impostor and the infiltrated soldier walked into another corridor in silence and opened a window. The rain poured inside mercilessly, but the water in the carpet would be the least of problems. A few moments later, three other men climbed in using ropes, leaving wet footprints behind.

"The Fuhrer's daughter's room is upstairs. Don't hurt her. We need the girl to bargain," Israel said. "One mistake and we'll be executed for treason or killed by our boss."

Mustang's foreign trade policy had kept the country's economic balance favorable, but the monopoly of certain products had been broken, forcing the highly profitable products to be sold for more decent prices. Not everyone had been pleased by the more affordable prices. Kole's Railway had been the only company responsible for building railways and manufacturing locomotives and trains throughout the country.

Commodore Kole, a rich and powerful man from the South, had been delighted to know of the new Fuhrer's plan to build more railways as a way of lowering transportation costs and hence stimulating the industry. He hadn't counted on another company from a different country sharing the job with his own company, though. That meant lower costs for the government, but also lower profit for Kole. If he could use his influence to get rid of the foreigners, he should make much more money out of this job.

Israel breathed in nervously, knowing he would be in trouble if he failed. Kole would have him killed if he did. There was a huge sum of money involved. The group walked upstairs stealthily, hoping to grab the girl and make an escape as soon as possible. However, lots of noise suddenly came from downstairs. Something had apparently caused a commotion. The intruders ran straight to the room where their target was trying to sleep, hoping to kidnap the girl and get out through the window somehow.

"What the hell is going on?" Roy yelled as the door was opened abruptly and a soldier walked in quickly, asking where Granville was.

"He went out for a smoke," Carlisle said.

"Split now! Find him!" a man's voice ordered and two soldiers rushed upstairs, while three others left in different directions.

Recognizing Havoc's voice, Roy and Riza left the room, now very nervous. Something was going on and it wasn't good.

"Havoc!"

"That man who came here isn't Granville." Jean said, already heading upstairs.

Roy and Riza were quick to understand his concern and followed him upstairs. It all had to be a bad dream, a stupid mistake or a misunderstanding, they thought, until they heard a scream and a dog barking, and it all became true. It was like jumping into water only to find it was as cold as it could possibly be. Shots were fired and a noise of glass being shattered was heard right after.

The intruders had exchanged shots with the soldiers loyal to the Fuhrer in the middle of the corridor. Two of the kidnappers had been taken down and another one had tried to run. Still, two attackers had managed to enter the room, being immediately attacked by a dog. One of them was Israel, who had pretended to be Granville, and the other was a six foot heavily built man, who had run through the armed soldiers like a bull.

An officer that had been shot in the leg managed to get up and followed the two intruders inside the bedroom. Havoc rushed past Roy, almost pushing him out of the way and entered the room as well, already carrying his gun. Roy and Riza ran in a split second later and saw the wounded soldier fighting the heavily built man, while Black Hayate, the family's dog, stood between Israel and Kate, who had hid under her bed. When Roy saw that man was trying to get Kate, he felt irrational anger hit him. However, he didn't even get the chance to touch the guy as Havoc got to him first. Jean punched Israel in the face, making him trip and fall right through what was left of the broken glass of the window. Israel fell two stories down, landing on the wet grass and being arrested by other soldiers.

Finally, the last of the kidnappers managed to get away from the soldier who had attacked him, got a knife, and tried to stab the Fuhrer with it. Roy dodged the attack and punched him. Havoc came to help and the two men disarmed the attacker in a matter of seconds, knocking him out.

At last, the man posed no threat anymore, so Roy turned around and saw that Riza had already gotten Kate. She had already scooped up the child and held her tight. Kate was crying and hugging her mother, but was apparently unharmed. Hayate hadn't let anyone touch her.

More soldiers arrived and soon all the kidnappers that hadn't been shot dead were arrested. Luckily, Kate hadn't watched anyone get killed. That had happened outside her room and she had barely seen her attackers' faces, as she hid under her bed all the time. Still, Roy and Riza were in too much of a shock to ask Havoc how he knew that was going to happen for almost half an hour.

"I'm sorry. I only found out about it by accident," Jean said, explaining to both Roy and Riza how Rachel had shown him the photograph of the real professor.

Roy sighed, feeling a mixture of desperation and relief at the same time. Nothing had happened, but it could. Strange people had entered his house, planning to take his little daughter. Kate had been the _target_ of the attack. The idea scared him out of his skin. Riza didn't feel any different. More than half an hour later and she still would be holding her child tight, whispering calming words to her.

The commotion ceased, the time passed by slowly, soldiers walked in and out of the house, still looking for anyone who might have been hiding. Granville's house was checked and signs of struggle were found. The real professor had probably been kidnapped shortly after receiving his request letter. According to one of the men arrested, he hadn't been killed yet.

Still feeling anxious, Riza took Kate to their bedroom, and Roy only left them briefly to talk to General Carlisle and to some other officers, but soon went back to their room. Kate was already asking for Daddy, and he couldn't say no to his child.

"I should leave now. I have to talk to the people who were arrested, see who else is involved. And we still have to rescue the real Granville," Havoc said, showing up at the door of Roy and Riza's bedroom. He took a couple of steps towards Riza, who had Kate with her, and told the little girl, "I won't let any bad men escape, okay?"

Kate didn't answer, but gave Jean a trustful look.

"Havoc," Riza called. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Jean left the room, but noticed Roy had followed him.

"Sir?"

"Just… If you hadn't come… I don't even want to think about it. Thank you. Really."

"No problem," Jean replied. "Can I use your phone? My wife must be worried."

"It's downstairs. You don't have to ask."

"Oh, wait… The lines are dead anyway," Havoc cursed.

"Send someone to your house to tell Rachel you're all right," Roy suggested.

"Good idea. I'll do that and go take care of things at the headquarters. It's probably better if you stay with your family."

Roy nodded, knowing his place was with his wife and daughter now. He sure wanted to go with Havoc and find out who had orchestrated all that, but couldn't leave his family alone. Luckily he could trust Jean to deal with the situation for now. He walked back into the bedroom and closed the door, hoping that Kate could feel safe enough to fall asleep again with both her parents there. The investigation would lead them to the responsible parties and all would be over. Granville would be freed after some negotiation, while Commodore Kole would be arrested and charged. Finally, the xenophobic attacks would cease, thus allowing the army to solve the crisis a lot more easily than they had expected.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello again! I hope you all enjoyed this extra. I know it's a little crazy, but I tried not to write too much about politics and stuff. I still plan to write another extra before closing this fic, although I can't guarantee how long it will take. I noticed that I've got 289 reviews so far, and I'd love to get to 300. Perhaps you could help me? LOL! I'd sure love it if you could! Even if you don't like writing reviews, thank you very much for reading. I promise I'll do my best to post the next extra as soon as possible.


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